Members of the Arya Trust, the BLDEA's Heritage Club and other associations have appealed to Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa to ensure that encroachments in and around monuments in the city are cleared.
In a memorandum to the Chief Minister, through the Deputy Commissioner here on Wednesday, they said Bijapur had wonderful monuments, which stood testimony to its glorious past. But unfortunately, the Adil Shahi monuments, which gave the city a unique identity and placed it on the world map of tourism, were in a pathetic state.
There were 94 nationally protected monuments in the city. Besides, there were hundreds of unprotected monuments managed by the Department of Archaeology and Museums, Karnataka Government. Except for some important heritage sites such as the Gol Gumbaz and the Barakaman, most historical buildings and sites were on the verge of destruction owing to encroachment and government negligence.
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“If we don't clear the encroachments around the monuments fast, Bijapur will lose its “Important historical and tourist city” tag. If this happens, the Government's efforts to make the city a tourist hub will serve no purpose .”
They also said the Centre recently enacted a law to protect and preserve monuments. According to this law, damaging or encroaching upon monuments was a criminal offence, which attracted two years' rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs. 3 lakh. The State Government could effectively use this law to save the monuments, they urged.
Arya Trust honorary president H.G. Daddi and A.S. Pujar of the Heritage Club were present.
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