Preventive measures stipulated in the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) issued by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare will be followed

The Union Ministry of Culture has directed the opening of 820 centrally-protected monuments that have places of worship from Monday. All the protocols put in place by the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare shall be followed in these monuments.

Spread across the country, these monuments are managed by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

The Culture Ministry in its order said that the ASI shall ensure that preventive measures stipulated in the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) issued by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare on Thursday are put in place in these places of worship.

The ASI has also been directed to ensure that all other directions issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Health & Family Welfare in this regard are followed, an official statement said on Sunday.

The ASI has been asked to share the list of these 820 centrally-protected monuments that are proposed to be opened on Monday with the respective states and districts. Any state and/or district specific orders with regard to the containment and prevention of spread of COVID- 19 are also comprehensively implemented, the Culture Ministry has directed.

Over 3,600 centrally-protected monuments and archaeological sites maintained by the ASI. However, only those monuments that have places of worship and where religious events take place will open from Monday.

Opening of places of worship from June 8 onwards was part of the recommended “Unlock 1” guidelines issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs on May 30.

These guidelines also permitted the opening of malls and restaurants.

According to the guidelines for “Unlock 1”, schools, colleges and other educational institutions will be reopened in Phase 2 and a decision will be taken in July after consultations with states and Union Territories.

Dates for resuming services like international air travel, metro rail, cinema halls and theatres, gymnasiums, swimming pools, bars, assembly halls and other similar places will be decided later based on the assessment of the situation, the MHA order had said.