Govt considering bill on Heritage Sites Commission: Ambika Soni

New Delhi, Nov 27 (UNI) Tourism and Culture Minister Ambika Soni today said the bill providing for setting up of the Heritage Sites Commission, was under consideration of the government.

In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, Ms Soni said the proposed Commission would frame broad policy guidelines and take steps to ensure that such guidelines were observed.

She said the functions of the Heritage Sites Commission would include tendering advice to government on heritage matters and framing guidelines in the matter of conservation of heritage monuments and sites.

The commission would also study important matters regarding conservation of heritage and suggest appropriate amendments to the existing heritage laws.

Replying to another query, the minister said the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), had been entrusted with the task of implementation of the National Mission for Manuscripts (NMM).

The NMM was launched in 2003 for a period of five years. An amount of Rs 8.5 crore has been provided during the first year of the Eleventh Plan i.e. 2007-08, which is the last year of the NMM.

Ms Soni said the broad objectives of the NMM are to document and catalogue Indian manuscripts, promote ready access to these manuscripts through publication both in book and electronic form, and build a National Manuscripts Library at the IGNCA.

UNI