Pondicherry, Dec 03: The department of art and culture and Pondicherry chapter of the Indian Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) today entered into a memorandum of understanding for preservation of heritage buildings in the Union Territory. Education minister K Lakshminarayanan, who was present at the signing of the MOU by the secretary to art department M.Sathiavathi and the convenor of INTACH K Sayekumari, told newsmen that the MOU would help monitor the whole scenario of heritage buildings .

A eleven-member heritage task force would be formed to monitor the activities to be undertaken by the INTACH.

The trust would play an advisory role for Pondicherry on heritage matters for five years.

Government had proposed to provide Rs six lakhs to the trust for its activities. Financial assistance would be available to private building owners for maintenance of the heritage structures. Bureau Report