March 16, 2026 01:18 pm (IST)
Follow us:
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The Bill was accordingly withdrawn by the Government from the Rajya Sabha on July 31, 2015.
Support Our Journalism
We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism
IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.
Support objective journalism for a small contribution.
Latest Headlines
Sitar virtuoso Ustad Shujaat Khan enthralls Sydney’s Indian classical music aficionados
Tue, Mar 10 2026
City Heroines – Women’s Day special heritage walk through Dalhousie’s stories of reform and resistance
Fri, Mar 06 2026
Kolkata’s design scene gets a glam makeover! Inside the stunning design cultures 2026 showcase at KCC
Tue, Mar 03 2026
Dalai Lama wins first Grammy at 90! What is ‘Meditations’ all about?
Mon, Feb 02 2026
Kolkata Vistiwalas: The Last Bearers of Water
Fri, Jan 16 2026