Ahead of Barack Obama's visit, holes in Taj Mahal's tourists data raise security concerns

NOIDA: Ahead of US president Barack Obama scheduled visit to Taj Mahal, major security lapse have come to notice through a letter written by UP government's secretary (tourism) to the tourism secretary of government of India. TOI has managed to access the letter written on January 7, 2015, cites that there is huge gap between the foreign visitors record maintained by ASI and UP tourism. The gap in records of both the agencies signals allowing illegal access to foreign tourists to make money and at the same time compromise with the security of tourists and the Taj Mahal as well.

UP tourism secretary Amrit Abhijat on January 7, wrote a letter to the government of India's cultural secretary Ravinder Singh and raised the security issues.

The letter was written following a reports 0f decrease of foreign tourist footfall in 2014, compared to 2013. Acting on the report, the UP tourism department decided to conduct an independent survey, silently. On January 7, January 8 and January 9, staff of tourism department, silently counted the tourists at east, west and south gates of Taj Mahal.

When UP tourism department, cross checked the footfall on January 7, January 8 and January 9 with the record maintained by ASI on the same dates, the department found huge gap between the figures.

ASI tourist record on the above said three dates revealed that 5653 foreign tourists visited while the UP tourism department record suggested that total 7288 foreign visitors had visited on the said dates.

For further investigation, the UP tourism department then also examined past records maintained by UP police and ASI of foreign tourists visit in Taj Mahal. 2013 and 2014 record of UP government and ASI also reflected huge gap of tourists visit in Taj Mahal.

"UP tourism department cross-checked the foreign tourists visit data on random dates in 2013 an 2014, maintained by ASI and government of UP. During course of examination, we found huge gap. ASI record suggested a short-fall of 5.51 percent while UP government record suggested a hike of 28.05 percent in the foreign tourist visit in Taj Mahal," said a senior official of tourism department, on the condition of anonymity.

"As per ASI record of random dates of 2013 and 2014, total 25353 and 23954 foreign visitors respectively visited Taj Mahal. The record suggests a short fall of 5.51 percent while as per the record of UP tourism of the same dates a hike of 28.04 percent was registered of foreign visitors in 2014 against 2013," the letter cites.