Chandigarh: To protect the city’s rich heritage, the UT administration and the French government have agreed to establish a joint working group aimed at tracking and recovering heritage items sold overseas.
UT adviser Rajeev Verma led a high-level meeting with a visiting French delegation headed by Gregor Trumel, the counsellor for culture, education, and science with the discussions focused on enhancing cooperation to restore Chandigarh’s iconic architecture to its original state.
The meeting addressed the illegal auction of heritage furniture designed by renowned architects Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret in various countries.
The UT administration requested support from the French delegation in obtaining original designs and documentation related to these items.
According to reports, it was also suggested that France share its preservation techniques and collaborate on developing training modules to protect Chandigarh’s artefacts.
A significant outcome of the meeting was the decision to create a joint working group that will draft a concrete action plan for submission to the Union Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), an official said.
This plan will prioritize the tracking and recovery of stolen heritage items that have been auctioned internationally, he said.
Both parties reaffirmed their commitment to returning these historically significant artefacts to Chandigarh.
