Four years after its failed attempt to get the ‘Unesco world heritage city’ tag, the state government has decided to rework the proposal to get the prestigious title for Delhi. Senior officials said that the AAP government will soon prepare a new dossier on the nomination of the national capital,1 which was suddenly withdrawn by the central government in May 2015, without assigning a valid reason. Sources, however, said that it would have become difficult to carry out infrastructure development had it got the tag of a heritage city. 

The decision was taken following a meeting between chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage’s (INTACH) convener Swapna Liddle and consultant Annabel Lopez at Delhi secretariat on Wednesday morning. Deputy CM Manish Sisodia, who also holds the charge of the department of art, culture and heritage, was also present in the meeting.

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  • 1. Kailash Nath Dixit, former joint director general of ASI, said he was not in favour of New Delhi but Shahjahanabad should be considered for the inscription. “Cities like Rajgiri and Puducherry must get that status. They are the old towns.

    They should be preserved because they still have old architectures. New Delhi does not even have 100 years to talk about. Old cities such as Shahjahanabad and Mehrauli area must be preserved.” 

    He suggested that the dossier to be submitted with the nomination should be prepared carefully to present the case. “The dossier should be pitted in such a way so that all important factors should be known to them (UNESCO),” Dixit said.    

    Vikramjit Singh Rooprai, a heritage activist, said the city must get the tag as that will help Delhiites to understand its rich cultural heritage. “Delhi is the heritage capital of India and a melting pot of religious and cultural inheritance.” Source: The New Indian Express