Siliguri, July 30: The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR) will now have to look for new sources of funding for its community development programmes.
Unesco, which had, in the past contributed around $ 20,000 towards various activities of the DHR, will henceforth only play an advisory role and not take part in active funding.
Such an arrangement was envisaged as part of a package that was worked out after the DHR acquired the status of a world heritage site.
“In September 2004, Unesco’s present involvement as a coordinating and funding agency for the Indian Railways will come to an end,” R. P. Perera, the chief administrator and programme officer for culture, Unesco, said here today.
He was here to attend a two-day DHR workshop, organised by the Unesco.
Journalist and scholar Mark Tully, the chairman of DHR’s working group and a senior consultant and core group member with the planning commission, Jayanta Sanyal, William Withuhn from Smithsonian Institution in Washington, Darjeeling district magistrate Aariz Aftab and divisional railway manager A.K. Singh participated in the workshop.
DHR stakeholders from all over the world were also present.
Perera, however, clarified that this move does not mean that Unesco’s association with the DHR will end. “We are not leaving, we are running out of funds. Our association with the DHR will continue as long as the DHR retains the status of a world heritage site, which depends on how well it is managed in the coming years,” he said.
“There are hundreds of world heritage sites in more than 190 countries of the world. It is not possible for Unesco to play the role indefinitely for every site. We have shown the way. Now it is for the local authorities to continue the conservation and community development work we have initiated,” added Perera.
Perera told stakeholders that funds from the department of tourism and development funds from elected representatives, could be some of the ways in which money can be generated for activi ties related to the toy train and those who live near its tracks.
“The railways have an important role to play. We should form a heritage cell, with a senior rail official as the head. The cell could have nominees from the state government and also the DGHC. There is a need for a focussed multi-disciplinary project for Darjeeling and the initiative needs to come from the state government and the DGHC. The project should have a holistic approach and connect DHR with tea and tourism that Darjeeling is known for,” Perera said.