A few months ago, the Dalmia Bharat Group had won the contract for maintaining the Red Fort under the government's 'Adopt a Heritage Project—Apni Dharohar Apni Pehachan'. It is said to have beaten other interested parties such as IndiGo and GMR group to bag the contract even as questions were asked about the propriety of handing over the maintenance of a monument that is one of the biggest symbols of Indian nationhood to a private entity.
Now, it turns out, based on responses provided by the Ministry of Tourism in response to a query made under the Right to Information Act, that the Dalmia group had highlighted in its expression of interest for the contract the work that it has done in consonance with the government's Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.
Replying to the RTI application made by activist Saleem Baig on May 31, 2018, the ministry provided a copy of the expression of interest made by the Dalmia group highlighting similar initiatives taken by it, which included photographs of Mahendra Singhi, Group CEO, Dalmia Bharat Group, along with other officials of the company, sweeping an area in Rajrangpur town in Odisha on December 3, 2016.
The group pointed out that it had constructed 12 units of bio-degradable toilets in schools in Rajrangpur and Lanjiberna, and 11 toilet blocks in schools in Cuttack. The EoI also spoke about the group taking up village cleaning drives and carrying out awareness programmes in schools and villages.
“Dalmia Bharat Foundation, in its endeavour to make the Clean India Mission a successful drive, has been putting its concerted efforts in its entire CSR locations with greater and vigorous involvement of local community over the years,” the company said in the EoI.
The RTI query was regarding the process for deciding to give the Red Fort on “lease” and the meetings held regarding this. The Ministry of Tourism responded by saying that the monument has not been given on lease. It said that the ministry, along with the Ministry of Culture and the Archeological Survey of India envisioned the project with the aim of conserving India's rich heritage and to promote tourism envisioned the project.
It said that the idea behind the scheme, launched in September, 2017, was to provide at the chosen monuments and heritage sites world class tourism infrastructure and facilities, which include basic public amenities, safe and secure environment and adequate lighting so that the tourists can be provided with a wholesome tourism experience.
Attached with the tourism ministry's response is a copy of the advertisement that it had brought out on November four, 2017, inviting from public and private corporations and individuals expression of interest.
The scheme is meant for involving the corporate sector in the upkeep of monuments and heritage sites, and the business partner is expected to benefit from visibility at the monuments or the heritage sites, and they are supposed to get prominence on the tourism ministry's Incredible India website.
