Red Fort upkeep with Dalmias; Cong fumes

New Delhi, April 28

The Congress on Saturday questioned how a private entity was given the mandate to maintain the iconic Red Fort, days after a corporate house signed an agreement with the Tourism Ministry under its ‘Adopt a Heritage’ project. The Dalmia Bharat group, under the memorandum of understanding, would maintain the monument and build basic infrastructure around it. It has committed a sum of Rs 25 crore for the purpose over a period of five years. 

IndiGo Airlines and the GMR group were also in the race to bag the project. 

“They are handing over the iconic monument to a private business. What is your commitment to the idea of India, to the history of India? Do you have dearth of funds,” asked Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera. The Dalmia Bharat group has agreed to provide basic amenities at the 17th century monument within six months. These include providing drinking water kiosks, street furniture like benches and signages to guide  visitors, according to the Tourism Ministry. 

It has also agreed to put up within a year tactile maps, upgrade toilets, light up pathways and bollards, carry out restoration work and landscaping and build a 1,000-sq-foot visitor facility centre. It will also provide a 3-D projection mapping of the fort’s interior and exterior, battery-operated vehicles, charging stations for such vehicles and a thematic cafeteria.

Responding to Khera’s remarks, Minister of State for Tourism KJ Alphons said under the scheme started last year, the ministry was looking at public participation to develop heritage monuments. —  PTI