Maharashtra Government sets up panel to remove encroachments around ancient forts

The Maharashtra Government on Saturday announced the formation of districtlevel committees to remove encroachment on ancient forts PTI reportedState Cultural Affairs Minister Ashish Shelar said that these panels will remove the existing encroachments on forts and ensure the prevention of further illegal occupation of these ancient sitesShelar said Maharashtra is home to 47 centrallyprotected forts under the Archaeological Survey of India ASI and 62 stateprotected forts run by the Directorate of Archaeology and MuseumsThese forts are a vital part of the states cultural legacy and require robust measures to ensure their conservation and preservation and to prevent encroachments he said while addressing a press conferenceShelar stated that encroachments on Central and stateprotected forts as well as unprotected ones create severe issues regarding their structural integrity historical significance and law and orderHe indicated that in order to solve these problems and maintain law and order a districtlevel committee will be formedThe committees will be headed by district collectors and include the commissioner of police Zilla Parishad CEO superintendent of police municipal commissioner and other officials PTI reportedThese panels will also include chief officers of municipal councils municipalities and Nagar Panchayats concerned deputy conservator of forests superintendent of archaeology assistant director of Archaeology Regional Port Authority Maharashtra Maritime Board and resident deputy collectorShelar further said that the committees should review and prepare a fortwise list of encroachments by January 31 and submit it to the state government PTI citedHe instructed that the encroachments must be removed between February 1 and May 31 and steps to be taken to ensure future protection of forts from such illegal activitiesThe minister added that the committee should also hold monthly meetings to review progress and submit its report to the governmentMumbai lsquoThis isnrsquot a fort anymore row erupts over Bandra Fort restorationA controversy erupted over the conservation work going on at the Bandra Fort Residents alleged that the conservation process completely ruined the fort while conservation architects say the procedure is in keeping with the tenets of archaeology and will take a few months to be completedSocial media was abuzz with messages of a ldquoruinedrdquo Bandra Fort after the fort garden reopened after two years of redevelopment on October 6 Vidyadhar Date a resident of Bandra said ldquoAfter the reopening of Bandra Fort garden I visited it and was shocked to find that the heritage character has been heavily tampered with The old fort wall is completely plastered over so the whole character of the fort is gone Can one imagine the walls of Raigad Fort or any other fort in Maharashtra plastered in a cream colour as is done here in the Portugueseera Bandra Fort How on earth did the heritage authorities allow thisrdquoDate added that the damage done to the Bandra Fort garden has to be seen to be believed Earlier one could see the fort wall from the entrance but now much of it is clearly damaged and plastered over beyond recognition Fortunately there are enough old photographs of the old fort so one can clearly see the ruin the makeover has caused The old plaque is retained but looks incongruous amidst the plasteringWith PTI inputs