Thirty-three artefacts stolen during last three years

New Delhi, Aug 21 (UNI) Fifteen cases of theft involving 33 artefacts have been reported from monuments and museums during the last three years, the government informed the Rajya Sabha today.

In a written reply, Tourism and Culture Minister Ambika Soni said six of the stolen antiquities were recovered as police personnel solved five cases of pilferage.

Among the stolen artefacts were two sculptures from Charkhamba temple premises in Rajasthan, a stone Shivlinga from Bumzuva cave in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir, wheel and cart frame from the Archaeological Museum in Hanumangarh district of Rajasthan and one carved wooden head of Goddess Kali from Chandpur Fort in Uttarakhand.

Ms Soni said the Shivlinga from Bumzuva cave (J&K), two fragment sculptures from Sun Temple, Mehsana (Gujarat), stone image of Anantashesh from Laxman temple, Mahasamund (Chhattisgarh) and a stone image of Hariti from the centrally protected site at Sirpur (Chhattisgarh) had been recovered.

With regard to the pilferage of a stone head of Lord Buddha from Indian Museum, Kolkata, she said the case had been handed over to the CBI.

The Minister also informed that a report had been lodged with the police in connection with the theft of the bust of Jain Tirthankara from the ruins of buried Jain Temple at Denavulapadu village in Andhra Pradesh.

Replying to another query, she said the government has established a National Culture Fund (NCF) in which national and international corporate houses can contribute for various cultural activities, including conservation and restoration of monuments.

The total amount committed to the NCF during the last three years was Rs one crore from SAIL and 43,900 US dollars from World Monument Fund (WMF).

The NCF project, in association with SAIL and relating to conservation of monuments at Lodi Garden, New Delhi, is being implemented through Indian National Trust for Cultural Heritage (INTACH).

The NCF project with WMF relates to restoration of parts of Jaisalmer Fort. The responsibility of supervising restoration or conservation work lies with the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

UNI