The urban development ministry has sought the culture ministry’s opinion on a suggestion that a chunk of the sprawling Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts (IGNCA) in the heart of Delhi be given to set up a memorial for Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.
Last week, the ministry forwarded to the culture secretary a proposal by the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose INA Trust, headed by Meghalaya MP PA Sangma, to allot land for a Netaji memorial and a Centre for Asian Studies.
IGNCA, an autonomous body under the culture ministry, runs out of a 24-acre plot on Mansingh Road allotted to it in 1996.
“They (INA Trust) have requested for allotment of vacant land from the land parcel allotted to IGNCA, stating that a large plot of land in custody of IGNCA between Rajpath and Rajendra Prasad Road is lying unutilised. Ministry of Culture being a nodal ministry for cultural activities is requested to offer comments in the matter to this office,” the UD ministry letter states.
Sources said the culture ministry is yet to respond to the urban development ministry. “It’s true that a portion of land allotted to IGNCA is lying vacant but the culture ministry has plans to utilise it,” said a culture ministry official, who did not want to be identified.
Sources said the culture ministry is yet to respond to the urban development ministry. “It’s true that a portion of land allotted to IGNCA is lying vacant but the culture ministry has plans to utilise it,” said a culture ministry official, who did not want to be identified.
The Netaji trust sent the proposal to the urban development ministry in February and asked for about six acres of land for the memorial. It was initially offered a plot on Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg, but they rejected it saying they were looking for a more prominent place closer to Rajpath.
Sources said the urban development ministry decided to fling the ball into the culture ministry’s court as the land was allotted to the latter.