Govt denies foreign documentation of Karnataka heritage

New Delhi, May 16 (UNI) The government today denied that experts from Britain, France and some other countries were showing interest in documenting the heritage sites in Karnataka.

However, the Hampi Foundation, an NGO, had documented Chandramaleshwara temple, which is protected by the Karnataka government with assistance from the US-based Global Heritage Fund.

In a written reply during Question Hour in the Rajya Sabha, Culture and Tourism Minister Ambika Soni said Krishna Temple, another Centrally-protected monument in the state, was also being preserved with assistance from the World Monument Fund, US.

Replying to another query, Ms Soni said the government proposed to bring in legislation to set up a Heritage Sites Commission, which would be a supplement to the existing law, The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958, for protection and conservation of ancient monuments and sites.

She said different state governments had enacted their own legislation for protection of ancient monuments falling within their respective territories.

The Karnataka Government has enacted the Karnataka Ancient Historical Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1961.

Karnataka has declared Bidar, Gulbarga, Bijapur, Kittur, Mysore and Srirangapatnam as heritage sites/centres, she said.

UNI SKS YA KN1510