New Delhi: Lamenting that records post-1947
were not preserved well, a senior government official today
said he felt like "weeping" at the dismal condition of
state-level archives and the Centre was willing to help in
this area.
"The National Archives is in a much better position but I
admit that I feel like weeping seeing the condition of
archives in states," Jawahar Sircar, Cultural Secretary, said
here.
He said the Centre has decided to take a holistic view
of archives and extend support to the states.
"Previously, there was a debate whether we can interfere
in the working of the state archives. But now the ministry has
decided that we must. We have to plan both technological and
financial assistance for the satate archives," he remarked.
A committee will be formed to look into the matter, he
said.
Speaking on the Foundation Day of National Archives Of
India, Sircar said that post-independence records, especially
after 1960, did not receive focused attention.
PTI
