March 20, 2026 12:46 am (IST)
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There will be no National Commission for Cultural and Heritage Sites, says minister
New Delhi, Mar 14 (IBNS) In a written reply to the Lok Sabha on Monday, Minister of State for Culture and Tourism (Independent Charge) and Minister of State for Civil Aviation Dr. Mahesh Sharma, said the Government does not intend to constitute a National Commission for Cultural and Heritage Sites.
He informed the House that the Government had introduced a Bill named “The National Commission For Heritage Sites Bill, 2009” in the Rajya Sabha on Mar 26, 2009, which was referred to the Department Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture.
The same was pending since then for making necessary amendments in the Bill in pursuance to the recommendations, made in the 150th Report of Department Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture, on the Bill.
Accordingly, the minister informed, consultations were held with various stakeholders including the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), National Monuments Authority (NMA) as well as ministries of Urban Development, Environment, Forest & Climate Change (the then Environment & Forests) etc.
Based on the consultations, the Government decided not to constitute a National Heritage Sites Commission as envisaged in the said Bill.
The Bill was accordingly withdrawn by the Government from the Rajya Sabha on July 31, 2015.
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