Applications for building repairs flood ASI,no decision as yet

While the NMA is yet to be formed and its chairman yet to be appointed by the Cabinet Secretary,regional directorates covering three states each have come into place and are functioning since.

Under the new regime,state directors of archaeology have been assigned the role of forwarding the applications received from the Superintending Archaeologist to regional directorates.

Y S Ravat,Gujarat’s archaeology director,however,said that the applications “are lying with my office because the competent authority is still to take shape and take charge of things”.

Ravat said things have started moving in Delhi with a series of meetings to scrutinise prospective members and constitute the competent authority. He said the new authority should be notified in the next three weeks and begin functioning soon. With this,the role of Superintending Archaeologist is to be changed too. Ravat said the SA would be monitoring the compliance part,that is,whether an applicant has conformed to the permission granted or exceeded the ambit of permission,in which case,it would take action as prescribed under law.

K C Nauriyal,superintending archaeologist for Vadodara Circle of ASI,said every application would be scrutinised by NMA.