Lokmat News Network
Aurangabad, Oct 13:
Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) has geared up to re-open tourist visitors centres (TVCs) at Ajanta and Ellora on a grand scale. This indicates that the offer of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI, Aurangabad Circle) to hand over the operations of both TVCs has been turned down.
According to MTDC sources,” The ASI should mind its own business. There is no second thought that they are expert conservationists and custodians of our heritage, but we have adequate manpower required for the upkeep of state-of-the-art infrastructures. Are they able to bear annual maintenance costs to the tune of Rs 10 crore of this TVCs? We are sure they could not. Apart from regular manpower, we also have a technical team to look after. Moreover, why should we hand over our infrastructure built, about a decade ago, by spending Rs 125 crore to the ASI.”
Meanwhile, the ASI sources underlined that the aim was to systematise the flow of tourists and to reduce the threat to the paintings. To minimise the time of tourists inside Caves No. 1, 2, 16 and 17, we were having plans to develop an environment including a dedicated gallery displaying old paintings made by our yesteryear ASI artists and local artists. The TVCs would have been projected in such a way that the tourists after seeing these replicas and paintings would get prompted to visit the world heritage Ajanta Caves. We have strongly tabled our demand before the former state tourism minister during the online meetings and his visit to Ajanta and Ellora Caves on January 26 and 27, this year.”
When contacted the MTDC regional manager Deepak Harne said,” I could not throw more light upon the issue as I had joined the present office recently. I am aware of just the present developments. Hence the details could be obtained from the head office (Mumbai) and the tourism ministry.”
The superintending archaeologist (ASI, Aurangabad Circle) Milan Kumar Chauley was unable to comment upon the re-opening of TVCs as he was busy in some online meeting.