Move to hand over KNP, Ahom monuments to private party!

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, May 1: Under its ‘Adopt Heritage’ project, the Centre has reportedly decided to hand over world famous Kaziranga National Park (KNP) and the monuments bearing the rich heritage of Ahom kings – Rang Ghar, Kareng Ghar and Shiva Daul in Sivasagar— to privates parties for their upkeep and development. The move has evoked sharp reactions from the public in Assam.

The ‘Adopt a Heritage’ project, a brainchild of the Ministry of Tourism, along with the Ministry of Culture and the Archaeological Survey of India, was launched on the World Tourism Day, 2017 by President Ram Nath Kovind. It aims to develop the monuments, heritage and tourist sites across India by inviting corporate entities, public sector companies or individuals to ‘adopt’ them for a period of five years. The 90 such sites in India are going to be handed over to private parties in five phases, and the sites in Assam are set to be handed over to a private party – JTI Group (Jungle Travels India Private Ltd) with its head office in Guwahati – in the third phase.

The people in Assam have been dumbstruck as to why the Centre is going to hand over the monuments and heritage sites of the State to a private party. 

Reacting to the move sharply, APCC president Ripun Bora said: “This is conspiracy hatched to benefit the corporate sector. This is an insult to Assam by the government at the Centre being led by Narendra Modi.”

The KMSS has said that the decision taken by the Centre will be resisted. It has asked Dispur to come clear on the matter.