Museum plans facility for senior citizens, physically challenged

GALLERIES OF the Allahabad Museum, specifically the ones on the upper floor, will now be made accessible to the senior citizens as well as the physically challenged people.

GALLERIES OF the Allahabad Museum, specifically the ones on the upper floor, will now be made accessible to the senior citizens as well as the physically challenged people.

HT Image

The task will be accomplished with the help of construction of a lift in the museum building, the proposal for which is awaiting the approval of the Allahabad High Court.

According to the chairman of the museum Prof RK Verma, the renovation of the museum building will definitely attract more visitors to the spot and thus it is extremely necessary to add a lift to the museum so that the senior citizens and the physically challenged people are not devoid of the opportunity to visit the galleries of the first floor.

However, the sources have disagreed to the new project and describe it is as waste of money.

It may be noted that numerous proposals are on the cards to make the museum match up to the standards of some of the widely acknowledged museums of national status. The gallery dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi, martyr Chandra Shekhar Azad, Rock art gallery and Ganga gallery etc are being added to the museum.

In his clarification of seeking the permission of the High Court for the construction, Prof Verma said that the court had passed an order while taking action on a PIL which demanded stopping of illegal constructions taking place at the Chandra Shekhar Azad Park and also to check any kind of environmental hazard to the park.

"The High Court thus gave an order to maintain the status quo and no new constructions are allowed on the park premises. The lift is being constructed inside the museum building and it is not likely to pose any environmental hazard to the park. But still we feel that it is our duty to seek the permission and in another sense to make it known to the High Court about our new plan," he said.

According to the chairman, the spot has already been chosen for the construction of the lift which is the quadrangular area near the steps leading to the first floor.

"The government of India has sanctioned Rs 10 lakh for the purpose,"  he added.