A “pay as you wish” entry fee at monuments and outsourcing the maintenance of archaeological sites were among the recommendations of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture in its report on the condition of museums in the country.
The panel’s report, which was presented in the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha on Monday, acknowledged the inadequate budget of the Culture Ministry as one of the biggest stumbling blocks.
“In view of the fund crunch faced by the Ministry of Culture for development and conservation of Museums and archaeological sites/monuments across the country, the committee feels that it is imperative for the Ministry to seek the participation of private sector in order to have the necessary investment needed to make our museums and archaeological sites/monuments at par with international standards, while ensuring the employment of best possible preservation practices to keep our cultural heritage safe and preserved for the future generations,” the report said.
The committee that is headed by T.G. Venkatesh recommended that donation drives, including allowing visitors to pay what they wish, beyond a minimum amount, and corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives be taken up.
“The committee suggests that the maintenance of various archaeological sites and monuments be outsourced to private agencies and in order to attract funds from such individuals/agencies, an incentive, such as display boards in the name of such individual agency at the sites, may be provided,” it read.
The panel added that the revenue generated by sites under the Culture Ministry should be allocated to the Ministry itself due to the scarcity of funds, instead of being deposited in the Consolidated Fund of India. This amount could be allocated for development and conservation of museums and archaeological sites, the report stated.
