Taking note of the poor flow of funds into the field of culture, a Parliamentary panel has strongly recommended inclusion of “heritage and culture” as a CSR activity in the Indian Companies Bill.
In its 192nd report on demand for grants, the Standing Committee on Transport Tourism and Culture, headed by Sitaram Yehcury, said the Culture Ministry had informed it that it had sought the Prime Minister’s intervention for inclusion of ‘culture and heritage’ in the said Bill, piloted by the Corporate Affairs Ministry.
As of now, there are 18 ongoing projects under corporate funding of about Rs 45 crore, mainly by public sector undertakings. This year, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has approved six more projects, which would require Rs 56 crore.
The panel noted that the National Culture Fund set up to preserve culture and heritage had not received the required response from the corporate sector. It said this could be made attractive for corporates/PSUs by inclusion in the list of CSR activities and also by putting up plaques etc. on monuments that could help in image building.
Also, the revenue generated from entry fee to monuments (3,678 protected ones) should be spent solely on conservation, protection, preservation etc. As of now, this revenue is spent on maintenance as well as staff salaries.
“The Ministry of Finance should appreciate the value of our heritage and allow the amounts collected out of entry fee to be allocated to ASI for its activities and it should be made a non-lapsable fund,” the panel said.
The panel also lamented the fact that the Planning Commission had approved only Rs 7,275 crore against Rs 18,668 crore projected by the Culture Ministry for the 12th Plan.
These allocations are “highly inadequate in comparison to the ambitious task the Ministry has to undertake,” such as modernisation of museums, archives and libraries.