Panel formed for conservation, proper functionality of Jantar Mantar: ASI to Delhi HC

The Archaeological Survey of India ASI has informed the Delhi High Court that an expert committee has been formed for the conservation preservation restoration and proper functionality of the Jantar Mantar observatory hereThe court said it reasonably expects the committee to hold its meeting at the earliest for taking steps towards the preservation restoration and proper functionality of the monument and sought a status report indicating the measures taken by it in this regardThe courts order came on a contempt petition seeking action against authorities for the noncompliance of a September 2010 high court order in which the ASI had given an undertaking that Jantar Mantar shall be made functional and be restored to its original glory to the best of its abilityEarlier this year the court had directed the ASI to file a report regarding the existing status of the functionality of the instruments at Jantar MantarIn an affidavit filed in the matter the ASI sought eight weeks time for setting up a meeting of the new committee and to furnish the recommendations for conservation preservation restoration and proper functionality of the monumentAlso Read Delhi Waqf board can only be custodian not owner of properties says Union GovtIt is stated in this affidavit that the ASI has constituted a fresh expert committee for the conservation preservation restoration and proper functionality of the Jantar Mantar observatory It is prayed in the said affidavit by the respondent ASI that eight weeks time be granted for setting up a meeting of the new committee and to furnish to this court the required recommendations to carry out conservation preservation restoration and proper functionality of the monument the court said in its order passed on April 24However the petitioner in the contempt case objected to the request saying there was no information regarding the date of the constitution of the committee or its first meeting He also said the affidavit was deliberately vague and there was inaction on the part of the authoritiesAlthough Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora observed that the petitioners grievance with respect to evasiveness as well as acts or omissions of the respondent is justified time was granted to the ASI in the interest of justiceIt is however reasonably expected that the newlyconstituted committee shall hold the meeting at the earliest so that steps taken for preservation restoration and proper functionality of the monument can be placed on record before the next date of hearing the court said in its orderIt is directed that the status report indicating the steps initiated for conservation preservation restoration and proper functionality of the monument be filed one week prior to the next date of hearing it addedThe court also asked the superintending archaeologist to remain present before it on the next date of hearing on August 31The petitioner had earlier submitted that the central issue in the present proceedings is that the instruments at the Jantar Mantar monument are not in a functional state and added that despite the passage of 12 years things remain unchangedA division bench of the high court had in 2010 passed an order recording an undertaking given on behalf of the ASI that Jantar Mantar shall be made functional and will be restored to its original glory to the best of its abilityThe Centre and the state government were also directed by the court to extend necessary support to the ASI so that it could work to restore the lost glory of Jantar MantarThe 2010 order was passed on a petition raising the grievance that Jantar Mantar in Delhi was not in a functional position due to various reasonsThe court had said being a national monument Jantar Mantar must be preserved by all concernedJantar Mantar was built by Maharaja Jai Singh of Jaipur in 1724 Jai Singh had found the existing astronomical instruments too small to take correct measurements and so he built these larger and more accurate instrumentsThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever