After sparring with the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) for more than four years over the restoration of the 15th century monuments in Lodi Gardens — an initiative that was touted as the biggest public-private partnership (PPP) project in Delhi’s heritage conservation arena before it hit rough waters — the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has taken over the project and is all set to begin the conservation work.
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According to INTACH Delhi convener AGK Menon, an agreement was signed between the two bodies over four years ago to restore five of the eight protected monuments in the garden.
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“However, when we started work and gave the ASI our estimate, it was found that SAIL’s funds were not enough to carry out the restoration work in five monuments, so only four monuments were covered. Some time later, the ASI said it was dissatisfied with INTACH’s work. However, it has not yet told us the basis of the disagreement,” Menon said.
ASI additional Director-General B R Mani said the work carried out by INTACH was found “not up to the mark” and thus, the ASI decided to take over the restoration work earlier this year. “A government-appointed expert committee had reviewed the work and INTACH was asked to re-do the areas found unsatisfactory. Their execution lacked quality and different aspects of conservation were not reproduced as expected.
For example, the flooring done by them came off within a year. We asked them to re-do it, but they demanded additional money. The committee report, however, found their work not up to the requisite standards,” Mani said.
On 31-Dec-2013, at 17:11, Architexturez <[email protected]> wrote:
source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Spat-stalls-Lodhi-Garden-project/articleshow/28156662.cms
NEW DELHI: When Archaeological Survey of India and Intach's Delhi Chapter signed an MoU to conserve five tombs in Lodhi Gardens in 2008-09, it was hailed as a landmark move. The project was meant to be completed in a year. Five years on, only partial work in Phase I has been completed due to a falling out between ASI and Intach (Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage) over quality of work undertaken in 2010. Sources said ASI has decided to disassociate Intach from the project.
.... (INTACH) had just started work on Bara Gumbad when ASI put a freeze on funds alleging "sub-standard work".
Meetings were held between ASI and Intach to resolve this. As time passed, cost escalation became another sore point with Intach refusing to continue until project costs were revised. ASI blamed the trust for the rise. Intach convener A G K Menon alleged the entire episode was "motivated" and a retaliation by ASI to Intach's opposing views on conservation policy and ideology.
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ASI has maintained the work was "sub-standard" from the start. ASI director-general ASI Praveen Srivastava said, "The project was given to Intach during Commonwealth Games. But their work was later found to be unsatisfactory and so it has been stopped for the last two years. As of now, Intach is no longer associated with the project and a final view on their involvement will be taken after a report from the superintending archaeologist. They were told to rectify certain errors and have apparently not done so satisfactorily."