Centre to remove four Assam sites from ‘Adopt a Heritage’ scheme after protests

The Assam government held talks with protesting groups and took up the issue of the four sites being included in the ‘Adopt a Heritage’ scheme with the Centre.

The Centre has agreed to remove four sites in Assam from its Adopt a Heritage project following protests from various groups and reservations by the Bharatiya Janata Party-led state government, tourism minister Chandan Brahma said on Friday.

The decision was taken after a team led by Brahma met Union tourism minister KJ Alphons on Friday and apprised him of the resentment against the scheme in the state.

“In view of public opinion against the scheme and also our reservations, we met the Union minister and apprised him about it. He has agreed to remove the sites in Assam from the scheme,” Brahma said.

Three Ahom-era monuments in Sibsagar -- Rang Ghar, Kareng Ghar and Siba Doul -- and Kaziranga national park were proposed to be handed over as part of the scheme, which envisages the development of amenities for nearly 100 sites including the Red Fort and Char Minar in Hyderabad.

The scheme, launched in September last year by President Ram Nath Kovind, was opposed by organisations like All Assam Students Union (AASU), Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) and others.

While Kaziranga, the largest habitat of the endangered one-horned rhino is a world heritage site, Rang Ghar, is an eighth-century amphitheatre, Kareng Ghar, the Ahom royal palace and Siba Doul, a Lord Shiva temple.

The three Ahom era monuments are under Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), Kaziranga -- the only national park in the country in the list -- falls under the state forest department.

The state government held talks with protesting groups and took up the issue with the Centre to reconsider the decision.