New Delhi

The government has no proposal under consideration to change the name of the Taj Mahal, Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat informed the Rajya Sabha on Thursday.

Responding to a supplementary query from John Brittas of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) during Question Hour, Shekhawat said there was no such proposal with the ministry.

“There is no such idea of changing any name under consideration of the ministry,” he said.

Replying to another question, the minister said the government has significantly increased spending on excavation of historical sites over the past decade.

“The Modi government is very serious about excavations. In the last 10 years, nearly double funds have been spent on excavation activities as compared to the 10 years prior to that,” he told the House.

Responding to a query from Sukhendu Sekhar Ray of the All India Trinamool Congress regarding plans to excavate more historical sites in West Bengal, Shekhawat said excavations are a continuous process depending on available human resources.

He added that support from state governments would help accelerate excavation activities.

Highlighting conservation efforts, the minister said that while ₹1,310 crore was spent on conservation work between 2004 and 2014, the government has spent ₹3,713 crore on such activities over the past 10 years.

The Ministry has also launched a scheme to involve the corporate sector in conservation projects, which has received encouraging participation, he said.

In a written reply to a starred question, Shekhawat said there are 135 monuments and archaeological sites of national importance in West Bengal maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

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He added that four protected monuments in the state under ASI charge an entry fee for visitors.