Century-old residential buildings on the periphery of Jallianwala Bagh pose a threat to the lives of tourists visiting the memorial in Amritsar. Tribune photo: Vishal Kumar

GS Paul

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, May 18

Blame it on lack of political will or funds, the poor upkeep of the historic Jallianwala Bagh ends up denting the significance it has.The 6.5-acre park houses a memorial established in 1951 to commemorate the martyrs massacred by the British on April 13, 1919.Despite it being declared a heritage site by Union Minister Arun Jaitley, the Jallianwala Bagh is in a dismal state.The century-old structures that share its boundary wall are on the verge of collapse, putting to risk the lives of thousands of visitors.The bullet markings are missing at several points. While the dusty paths and heaps of garbage point towards a lack of maintenance, the light and sound show facility installed in 2010 has been lying defunct for more than four years.Similarly, the 18-minute documentary, which was shown through a projector daily in seven shows at a 50-seat hall at the park, too has been discontinued. An official said a report to revamp the infrastructure and conservation of the old buildings on the periphery of the park was prepared, but nothing came of it. “The trust headed by the PM hasn’t scheduled even a single meeting since the NDA government under Narendra Modi came to power. Proposals were made several times and once, even the tenders were called, but in vain,” he said.The Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial Trust, which is responsible for the park’s upkeep, runs under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister. It comes directly under the jurisdiction of the Union Ministry of Culture.Lately, Union Minister of Tourism Mahesh Sharma visited the place. Dejected by the dismal state of affairs, he termed it ‘pathetic’.MP Shwait Malik, who had raised the issue in Parliament recently, alleged negligence on the part of the trust. “A comprehensive plan has been conceptualised to overhaul the infrastructure. The Centre will be commemorating the centenary of the massacre in 2019. Before that, this plan will have to be executed. The northern side buildings on the bagh’s periphery have already been purchased from the owner. There is a proposal to convert it into a library…“The other rickety structures too will be preserved. The light and sound show will be replaced with a 4-D audio-video system,” he said.Sukhdev Singh, convener of INTACH, Punjab, which is into preserving historic sites, said, “At present, its façade has been changed totally with inappropriate construction. Conservation experts need to be taken into the loop before taking up the revamp plan.”