INTACH-Delhi govt move to make capital 'World Heritage city'

New Delhi, Jul 2 (UNI) The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) will tomorrow sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Delhi Government to help capital to become a 'World Heritage City'.

INTACH Chairman S K Misra said a 12-member joint task force will be formed comprising Chairman and Managing Director, Delhi Tourism and Principal Secretary, Transport, NDMC Chairman, MCD Commissioner and two INTACH representatives to oversee the implementation of the projects to be undertaken under the agreement.

He said the INTACH will also be entering into an agreement with Prince Charles' Charities in London next week for an exchange programme of scholars and training of personnel, arrange funds for projects, support conservation programmes in India.

Elaborating on Delhi's programme, Mr A G K Menon, INTACH Convenor of the Delhi chapter, said INTACH will provide expertise and contribute to the design of the projects.

The first task to be taken up will be the route from Red Fort to Humayun Tomb, which will be given a heritage touch, in terms of street lighting, pavement design, heritage buses etc.

''It is unfortunate that people land in Delhi and leave for Agra and Jaipur for heritage tourism, even when there are over thousand historic monuments in the capital itself,'' he told reporters here.

Therefore, it will be an endeavour to present Delhi as a heritage city and develop it as Delhi not as Shanghai or Singapore, he said.

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