Authorities should show greater concern on Taj than UNESCO:SC

New Delhi: The Supreme Court today said authorities in India should show a "far greater concern" over the situation of Taj Mahal than shown by the UNESCO on the historic monument.

The apex court also asked why "from 2013 till 2018, nothing was done?."

It had earlier expressed concern over the change of colour of the monument which it said was now turning brownish and greenish after becoming yellowish.

The remarks relating to the UNESCO by the bench of Justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta came after the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) said it have given a plan on Taj Mahal to the UN body in 2013.

The top court was also informed by Attorney General K K Venugopal that the joint secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the commissioner of Agra Division would be the officers responsible for the maintenance of the Taj Trapezium Zone (TTZ).

The bench was apprised that director general of the ASI would be responsible for the maintenance of Taj Mahal.

TTZ is an area of about 10,400 sq km spread over the districts of Agra, Firozabad, Mathura, Hathras and Etah in Uttar Pradesh and Bharatpur district of Rajasthan.

When the ASI's counsel said that the UNESCO was informed about status of Taj matter, the bench said, "This is the problem."

"Organisation like UNESCO has to express concern about the situation (of Taj Mahal). It is an organisation of the United Nations. Our concern should be far greater than that shown by the UNESCO," the bench said.

The apex court also made it clear that from now on, affidavits would be filed in the matter only by these three officials -- joint secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, commissioner of Agra Division and the director general of ASI. "Affidavits filed by any other person will not be entertained," it said.

At the outset, the Attorney General told the bench that commissioner of Agra division, who is also the chairman of the TTZ, would be responsible for maintenance of TTZ as far as Uttar Pradesh government is concerned.

"For Union of India, the joint secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change will be the in-charge of the TTZ," he told the bench.

The ASI's counsel told the bench that director general of ASI would be responsible for maintenance of Taj Mahal and the TTZ authority has to ensure that nothing comes up in the "regulated area" around the monument.