The Assam government today assured Assam Assembly to take necessary steps to safeguard historical monuments that are allegedly under threat because of ongoing seismic survey conducted in Sivasagar district of Upper Assam by a private firm called Shibani, contracted by the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC). Most of these centuries old historic monuments from Ahom dynasty, which ruled over Assam for six hundred years since the 12th century AD, are now under protection of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). In the wake of raging public protests and looming agitation threatened by some youths and students organisations have alleged that the ONGC-contracted private firm had not cared about safety of historic monuments in their bid to strike oil and natural gas underneath the soil of Sivasagar district by carrying out explosion to engineer seismic waves, Assam government said that it had initiated investigation into the matter to find out the real picture. Assam industries and commerce minister Pradyut Bardoloi today in the House said, "There is no question of the Assam government remaining a mute spectator in case of any damage being caused to these monuments that are so close to the heart of the people.' The minister informed that an additional district magistrate of Sivasagar district had been entrusted with the responsibility of investigating into damages, if any, caused to historical structures because of the method used by the firm engaged by the ONGC to conduct seismic exploration of hydrocarbon deposits. He informed the House that seismic surveys in the areas close to the historical monuments had been prohibited pending the submission of the inquiry report from the additional district magistrate. He said the firm contracted by the ONGC would not be allowed to flout norms for carrying out low intensity explosions underneath the surface as part of seismic surveys. At the initiative of the Assam government, the ASI has constituted a six-member expert committee to find out if any damages are caused to the historical monuments because of the seismic survey. The members of the panel are already on the job to find out facts over the raging issue. Meanwhile, the chairman-cum-managing director of the OIL, M R. Pasrija, stated that there might be shortage of feedstock to the proposed Rs 5,400 crore Brahmaputra Valley Gas Cracker and Polymer Project if the OIL was not allow to carry out seismic survey for natural gas in the bed of Brahmaputra river. His statement came in response to growing outcry over seismic surveys in the state.