Summary

SAI India conducted a performance audit on preservation and conservation of state protected historical monuments and antiquities in Karnataka. An audit on the similar subject was included in the Audit Report of SAI India for the year ended March 2011. According to the auditors, the Department of Archaeology, Museums and Heritage of Karnataka has not formulated any long-term plan or priority list for excavation, preservation and conservation of monuments. Resultantly, it had no mechanism to assess the fund requirement or human resource required for discharging its mandated activities. Moreover, exploration, excavation, identification and assessment of ancient monuments and archaeological remains were not carried out effectively in the absence of guidelines and a comprehensive policy. Directory of protected monuments, the only authentic source of information to public, was incomplete and inaccurate. Auditors noted that archaeological sites listed as protected monuments were found missing during physical verification. Audit showed that there were no specific guidelines on maintenance of museums and periodicity for physical verification of artefacts, and none of the museums inspected had proper storage facilities for safe keeping of artefacts kept as reserve. SAI India recommends that the auditee should prepare a long-term plan, medium term plans and annual conservation plans to protect and conserve the identified monuments, and formulate a comprehensive guideline for inspection of monuments, regularly duly fixing targets for officers. The state authorities should ensure proper access roads to all archaeological sites, put up bilingual signage boards providing adequate information and ensure availability of basic public amenities.