Historians seek review of Red Fort contract

Expressing serious concern over the handing over of maintenance work at the historic Red Fort here to the Dalmia Bharat Group, the Indian History Congress (IHC) has called for an “impartial review” of the arrangement by “the Central Advisory Board of Archaeology or any other recognised body of experts”.

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The IHC – the largest professional and academic body of Indian historians with over 10,000 members – has demanded that the deal be kept suspended till then.

“The Indian History Congress is greatly perturbed at the announcement that Dalmia Bharat, a cement company with no known experience in maintenance of monuments, is being made the custodian of the Red Fort of Delhi, a major national monument. It has also been announced that other monuments, including the Taj Mahal, are also in line for being handed over to similar private parties,” said a statement issued by the IHC.

“The terms on which the Red Fort is to be handed over to Dalmia Bharat are disturbingly broad. The company can ‘construct’ as well as ‘landscape’, and it will run an ‘interpretation centre’ as well,” it added, picking holes in the MoU.