Someone has to take responsibility of Taj, SC tells UP govt

New Delhi, July 26 :The Supreme Court on Thursday slammed the Uttar Pradesh government for filing just the “draft vision” document with respect to the Taj Mahal trapezium.
The apex court division bench, headed by Justice Madan Bhimrao Lokur asked, observing “why have you filed a draft? Are we supposed to correct it?”
The top court asked, “who is the incharge of the environment protection and redeveloping the area?”
The court said a procedure was to be followed in filing the documents.
“First environment ministry files affidavit, then ASI, then the UP Government. What is happening,” asked the court.
Justice Lokur observed, “it seems nobody wants to take responsibility for the Taj. Someone has to take responsibility. There has to be one authority which takes charge. It seemed that authorities have washed their hands off the Taj.”
The Attorney General, KK Venugopal, appearing for the Uttar Pradesh government, submitted to the apex court that ASI was not responsible for the relocation of industry in the Taj trapezium zone.
“It’s about industries, tanneries, refineries and foundries using coal,” he added.
Venugopal said the UNESCO is thinking about declassifying the Darjeeling railway from list of Heritage sites. It will be a huge embarrassment for the country if Taj is also removed.
The top court questioned, “if the detailed plan takes months, what will happen in the meanwhile?
The court wanted to know from the UP Government as to what were the short term measures that can be taken to preserve the Taj?
The SC has aksed the Centre and Uttar Pradesh government to identify specific officers and authority in charge of maintenance of the Taj and the redevelopment of the TTZ.
The SC also asked the UP government to inform it as to who exactly is in charge of the Taj Mahal.
“Who in Government of India is responsible, who in the state of UP is responsible.”
“Left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing. It is surprising. TTZ authority has done nothing since it was set up in 1996,” the top court observed.
TTZ Commissioner, told the two-judge bench of the apex court that the Taj TTZ authority has no staff.
TTZ commissioner said, “we have written to the UP govt 20/25 letters in last three years. I have written four letters in last one year.”