Looking into the museum issue: Culture secy

Responding to a report in HT, Culture secretary Jawhar Sircar on Monday said he would “look into all the aspects” of the proposal for setting up a gallery for international Buddhist museum in Kandy, Sri Lanka.

Responding to a report in HT, Culture secretary Jawhar Sircar on Monday said he would “look into all the aspects” of the proposal for setting up a gallery for international Buddhist museum in Kandy, Sri Lanka. Sircar added he had called for necessary files.

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He also stressed there was “best of relations” between ministry of external affairs and culture ministry and there was no reason for “undue concern”.

HT in its report on Monday (Culture ministry blocks MEA’s Sri Lanka project) pointed out that ministry of culture, citing a host of procedural lapses and escalation of cost by 21-fold, put a roadblock in the proposal for the gallery.

The report also said ministry had told MEA that the national museum, which is under it won’t be able to carry forward the proposal and rooted for a “open, transparent bidding to select an agency.”

Pointing out the staff crunch at the national museum, Sircar said, “MEA and culture ministry have best of relations. ... Both of us have been work together for improving country’s image abroad.”

He also said a “communication between two ministries shouldn’t be blown out of shape.”

On Friday when HT had contacted Sircar for comments, his office had said he would respond once he is back from a tour.