Post News Network, Bhubaneswar, February 18: The Department of Culture has planned to establish a four-tier-system in order to conserve the archeological and other heritage sites in the state. Sources said a letter recommending the proposal has already been dispatched to the state government for consideration. An official of the department said the main objective of the plan was to involve the local community in conservation work.
“The main objective of the system is to involve the local community for conserving the heritage sites. We have proposed to make a committee at four levels starting from the local level. The local panel can have members from the local community ranging from tribal people to retired teachers or headmasters. Above the local level, we can have a sub-divisional level team, a team at district level and an apex body at state level,” said an official of the culture department requesting anonymity.
The official said it has recommended that a district culture officer be made a part of the body and he can help in monitoring its functioning. It has also recommended the members at the local level be trained in order to make them well versed with the different aspects of conservation and make them more professional in their approach.
“If passed by the government, the plan can really help in preserving our ancient sites. Many of the problems will be solved at the local level with the active participation of the local community. Problems such as cracks at the monument sites or seasonal problems that affect sites could be detected and solved at the earliest with the help of the locals. We have also asked the government for a separate corpus for the purpose so that the local community takes part enthusiastically, keeping in mind the financial incentives,” said the official.
The department believes that the act of involving the indigenous population in conserving monuments at its close vicinity will make people identify with the sites and they, in turn, will alert the authorities in cases when emergency assistance would be required and the move would develop a sense of pride and satisfaction among them. However, the ball is now in the court of the government, and it is up to them to take a decision.
