New Delhi, Feb 13 (IANS): There are 3,698 centrally-protected monuments/sites in the country under the jurisdiction of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) which follows the National Policy for Conservation, 2014 for their conservation, the Parliament was informed on Thursday.

Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said in a reply in Rajya Sabha that so far 21 memorandums of understanding (MoUs) have been signed under the Public Private Partnerships (PPP) programme 'Adopt A Heritage 2.0 (AAH 2.0)' that was launched on September 4, 2023.

He said under the programme, the stakeholders are permitted to be engaged in non-conservational aspects like cleaning monument premises, providing and maintaining basic tourist amenities like washrooms, drinking water, childcare room, benches, pathways, garbage bins, signage, sound and light shows and illumination under the guidance and due consultation with ASI.

He said the National Culture Fund (NCF), a trust under the Ministry of Culture, established in 1996, has the primary mandate to establish and nurture PPP in the field of heritage through catalysing relationships between private, public, government, non-government agencies, private institutions and foundations.

The NCF also mobilises resources for restoration, conservation, protection and development of tangible and intangible cultural heritage, he said.

The Minister said the ASI undertakes independent conservation work at the centrally protected monuments. "The methodology for preservation used by ASI is the inspection of monuments, identification of preservation problem, chemical treatment, biocidal treatment, consolidation, strengthening and Hydrophobic treatment," he said.

"The conservation and maintenance of these centrally-protected monuments/sites is a regular process and is taken up as per the requirement and availability of resources," he said.

The Minister said the conservation and maintenance of the 3,698 centrally-protected monuments/sites is a regular process and is taken up as per the requirement and availability of resources.

"All the necessary conservation and development works of centrally protected monuments/sites are attended by following National Policy for Conservation, 2014," he said.