[MSN] India. Vishwa Bharati not maintaining Tagore’s artworks: CAG

[Museum Security Network Mailing list]

Vishwa Bharati not maintaining Tagore’s artworks: CAG
 
Sujata Bhaumik
 
19 May 2007, Saturday
 
VISHWA BHARATI UNIVERSITY came under the fire of CAG recently while it was celebrating the birth centenary celebration of Kavi Guru Rabindranath Tagore. Lack of proper maintenance, carelessness and lax security has resulted in the loss of various valuable documents and properties, accused Controller and Auditor General of India (CAG).
 
It needs to be mentioned here that earlier in 2004, the Nobel Prize of the great poet was stolen from the visitors’ gallery of Rabindra Bhavan.
 
CAG, during its audit, has discovered that Vishwa Bharati, till March 2006, had assets worth 24 crores 61 lakhs 34 thousand rupees. But other than in papers, these assets have never been audited or reviewed for the past 5 years. There are numerous valuable artworks, murals and sculptures lying around which neither have been documented nor was any of the department in the university eager enough to take up the responsibility of maintaining them.
 
CAG has also raised questions against the security of Rabindra Bhavan, Kalabavan and Central Library. The report mentions, art works and paintings of Rabindranath, Nandalal Basu and various other famous painters that have gone missing.
 
To be exact at least 30 paintings and 886 artworks are missing from the University complex. 53 valuable items are missing from the visitors’ gallery of Rabindra Bhavan out of which Tagore’s hard won Nobel Prize is one.
 
Even then the Vishwa Bharati did not find it important to install burglar alarms, closed circuit television or metal detectors. There are no security guards in civil dress in the area. Lack of proper maintenance has damaged 175 artworks in Rabindra Bhavan. Heritage buildings like Udayan, Udichi, Shyamali etc. are also in poor state without any maintenance.
 
CAG also found that there is lack of proper fire safety arrangements. 27th June, 2005 had witnessed loss of property worth 25 lakh 18 thousands in a fire that engulfed one of the departments. The reason for the fire is still being investigated, but it is a known fact that at that time Vishwa Bharati did not have any fire fighting instruments with them.
 
It will be worthy to mention here that Vishwa Bharati has received Rs 6 crores grant between 2004 and 2006 from the University Grants Commission. But CAG found that only thing that has been taken care of with the money was some roads and fencing.
 
http://www.merinews.com