HYDERABAD: Golconda Fort in Hyderabad and Gandikota Fort in Kadapa are among 75 Archeological Survey of India (ASI) sites in the country which will be refurbished under public-private partnership (PPP) model.
Announcing this at a press conference here on Tuesday, Union tourism and culture minister G Kishan Reddy said the GMR Group had come forward to take up restoration work at Golconda Fort. Giving out details of various initiatives planned for 75 weeks of festivities to mark 75 years of India’s Independence, the minister said the government had urged private companies to take up restoration works of monuments and run them for free as part of corporate social responsibility (CSR).
“We have entered into an arrangement with Dalmia Group to maintain Gandikota and Red Fort in Delhi, while GMR Group will take up works at Golkonda,” he said. Asserting that too many modifications won’t be carried out at the ASI monuments, Kishan Reddy said better sound and lighting system and replicas of old paintings and souvenirs could be created at these sites.
Kishan Reddy said it was worrying to note that Telangana has only eight sites listed out of 3,700 monuments recognised by the ASI. Neighbouring AP has 160 such sites, while Karnataka has over 500 such sites. “There are several forts in Telangana spread over 200-300 acres but they are neglected. Even nearby villagers are unaware of their importance,” he said.
He said several programes were lined up in 40 Unesco world heritage sites in the country, including Ramappa temple, to encourage domestic and international tourists.
There is also a plan to identify unsung heroes from India’s freedom movement in the 18th century and tell their stories to the next generation. “We are also contemplating to map every past and present detail of the villages in an app,” he said.
Once the Covid-19 vaccine drive is completed in the country by December this year, the tourism department will formally welcome foreign and domestic travellers to experience the country’s rich cultural heritage and scenic beauty, said the minister. “I am calling this as ‘dekho apna desh’,” Kishan Reddy said. He also said an international conference on Buddhism, its history and culture will be held.
