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Jagmohan visits Taj, Agra Fort; skips controversial project
Agra, June 22: A day after ordering halt to work on a heritage corridor project near the Taj Mahal here, Union Tourism and Culture Minister Jagmohan today visited the 17th century monument of love and Agra Fort but did not go to the site of the controversial project.
Agra, June 22: A day after ordering halt to work on a heritage corridor project near the Taj Mahal here, Union Tourism and Culture Minister Jagmohan today visited the 17th century monument of love and Agra Fort but did not go to the site of the controversial project.
Jagmohan utilised his entire day-long visit to get a first hand feel of the problems relating to upkeep of the Taj and Agra Fort.
Later addressing a press conference, he said work on the multi crore Taj Heritage Project had been stopped since it was a "total violation" of the Ancient Monuments Act and the Environment Act.
He said no approval had been sought for the project from any of the concerned authorities and no letter authorising the project had been issued by any central agency.
He said he had come to know about the project only after reading about it in a Delhi newspaper on Sunday last.
Jagmohan said, "You can't interfere in the flow of the river as this is something fraught wit dangerous consequences.” “In the case of the corridor project, the attempt to divert the flow of the Jamuna could result in the flooding of the Mehtab Bagh across the river from the Taj and the backflow could damage the Taj itself," stated the minister.
Asked whether this was the opinion of experts, he said it was his personal opinion.
Jagmohan said all he could say at this stage was that the project was not "proper and against statutory provisions and as such not sustainable."
He said Uttar Pradesh government had been asked to look into the mater and it had "very kindly" ordered stoppage of work on it. When told that work on the project had been going on in full swing for the past eight months and that UP chief secretary D S Bagga had himself given the green signal for it when he held a meeting of divisional officials in Agra in August last year, Jagmohan said he would not like to comment as the matter concerned the state administration.
Bureau Report
Later addressing a press conference, he said work on the multi crore Taj Heritage Project had been stopped since it was a "total violation" of the Ancient Monuments Act and the Environment Act.
He said no approval had been sought for the project from any of the concerned authorities and no letter authorising the project had been issued by any central agency.
He said he had come to know about the project only after reading about it in a Delhi newspaper on Sunday last.
Jagmohan said, "You can't interfere in the flow of the river as this is something fraught wit dangerous consequences.” “In the case of the corridor project, the attempt to divert the flow of the Jamuna could result in the flooding of the Mehtab Bagh across the river from the Taj and the backflow could damage the Taj itself," stated the minister.
Asked whether this was the opinion of experts, he said it was his personal opinion.
Jagmohan said all he could say at this stage was that the project was not "proper and against statutory provisions and as such not sustainable."
He said Uttar Pradesh government had been asked to look into the mater and it had "very kindly" ordered stoppage of work on it. When told that work on the project had been going on in full swing for the past eight months and that UP chief secretary D S Bagga had himself given the green signal for it when he held a meeting of divisional officials in Agra in August last year, Jagmohan said he would not like to comment as the matter concerned the state administration.
Bureau Report