Mah forms panels to remove fort encroachments

 

 

THE Maharashtra Government on Saturday announced the setting up of district-level committeestoremoveencroachmenton ancient forts. State Cultural Affairs Minister Ashish Shelar said these panels will remove the existing encroachments on forts and ensure the prevention offurther illegal occupation of these sites. Shelar said, Maharashtra is home to 47 Centrally-protected forts under the Archaeological SurveyofIndia(ASI)and62stateprotected forts, managed by the Directorate of Archaeology and Museums.

 

“These forts are a vital part of the state’s cultural legacy and require robust measures to ensure their conservation and preservation and to prevent encroachments”, he said while addressingapress conference. Shelarsaidencroachmentson the Central and State-protected fortsandunprotectedones raise serious concerns about their structuralintegrity,historicalsignificance, and law and order at these sites. He said the districtlevel committee will be established to address these issues and uphold law and order.

 

The committees will be headed by District Collectors and include the Commissioner of Police, Zilla Parishad CEO, Superintendent of Police, Municipal Commissioner and other officials, These panels will also include chief officers of Municipal Councils, Municipalities and Nagar Panchayats, concerned Deputy Conservator of Forests, Superintendent of Archaeology, Assistant Director of Archaeology, Regional Port Authority,MaharashtraMaritime Board, and resident deputy collector. Shelar said the committees should review and prepare afort-wiselistofencroachments by January 31 and submit it to the Government. He said encroachments must be removed betweenFebruary 1 andMay31andmeasuresimplemented to ensure future protection of forts from such illegal activities.