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Concerned over increasing theft of country's priceless antiques, the culture ministry is consulting the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for effective preventive measures and planning to amend the Antiquities and Art Treasures Act, 1972, to make punishment for offenders stringent.

'We know the number of theft cases, be it idols or artefacts, are increasing. Our ministry is really concerned about it and we are consulting the CBI to devise ways to curb it,' Culture Secretary Badal K. Das said Monday.

'CBI is the most efficient agency and we have asked them to help us in this matter as well. Our diplomatic missions in different countries have also been asked to be in touch with the respective countries to evade illegal smuggling of these articles,' Das told IANS on the sidelines of the launch of the National Mission on Monuments and Antiques.

In January this year, 10 precious idols were stolen from a Jain temple in Gurgaon, on the outskirts of Delhi. The idols are made of 'asthadhatu' or eight metals, and some of them are up to five centuries old.

A 900-year-old idol, stolen from a temple in Uttar Pradesh, was recovered in Delhi and two persons were arrested earlier this month.

In another incident, three 700-year-old Jain idols costing Rs.130 million on the international market were recovered in Delhi last week from a man who allegedly planned to smuggle them out of the country.

Archaeological Survey of India Director General C. Babu Rajeev said: 'We have already signed an agreement with China to stop illegal smuggling of these heritage items. Such agreements with other countries are in the pipeline.'

Das further said that India has a record of only 450,000 antiques but expressed confidence that the country is an inventory of millions of such artefacts.

'It's time to create a databank of all these pieces as they document the history and culture of the country,' the culture secretary said.

India is engaged in dialogues to retrieve antiques from several countries. Indian authorities are talking to Britain to retrieve five sculptures from the British Museum, London, and five astronomical tools from Egypt.

Dialogue is also on for getting back one sculpture of Thirthankar from Washington, one sculpture of Nataraj from London and one sculpture of Varah from Switzerland.

While launching the National Mission on Monuments and Antiques, Tourism and Culture Minister Ambika Soni said her government is planning amendments to the Antiquities and Art Treasures Act, 1972, to make the provisions more stringent with a view to curbing illegal trafficking in antiquities.

The proposed amendments provide for periodical verification of the registered antiquities, higher punishments for commission of certain offences punishable under the act, restrictions on transfer of antiquities to foreign nationals, restrictions in making unauthorised replicas of antiquities, making certain offences under the act non-cognisable and non-bailable etc.

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