Red Fort shops to continue in violation of the Monuments Act

New Delhi, Feb 1 (UNI) The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) today submitted before the Delhi high Court that it would allow 47 shops to run from inside the historic Red Fort despite it being declared a protected monument.

Appearing before a bench of Chief Justice M K Sharma and Justice Sanjiv Khanna, ASI Counsel Sanjay Jain said the draft agreeement to be signed between the ASI and the shopkeepers had been sent to the Ministry of Law by the Ministry of Culture for approval.

Adjourning the matter till March 12, the Court asked the ASI to expedite the matter.

After Lal Quilla, built by Moghul Emperor Shahjehan, was declared a protected monument under section 4 of the Ancient Monuments Act, 1956 on July 31, 2002, the ASI had served eviction notice to 47 shops at Chatta Bazar inside the fort.

The Red Fort Bazar Shopkeepers Association, an apex body of the shopkeepers, challenged the eviction order before the High Court saying that they were given official licence by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi(MCD) and Ministry of Defence to run their shops to sell handicrafts to the tourists and visitors.

The draft agreement said, ''In persuant to the notifications of July 4, 2002 and July 31, 2002, published under the provisions of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958, the entire area of the Red Fort has become a monument of national importance and hence protected under the provisions of the Act.'' Whereas the Minsitry of Defence had moved the troops from the fort complying with the notification, but the shopkeepers approached the court for relief.

UNI