Harshal Singh Rathod, Indore. For the last three years, the Rajwada is being renovated under the Smart City Project, but it has not been completed yet. The Department of Archeology and Tourism has to bear the brunt of the delay of the Smart City Company. Rajwada is closed for tourists since 2018 and due to this, the Archaeological Department is losing one lakh rupees every month. Both the departments have written a letter to the Smart City Company to complete the renovation work soon. Smart City Company has assured to complete this work before the rains this year.
In order to introduce the tourists to the history of the city, the Madhya Pradesh State Tourism Development Corporation started a light and sound show at Rajwada on 26 January 2015. About three crore rupees were spent in this project. This facility was closed from 25 February 2019 due to the improvement work of Rajwada. The situation of corona is now under control and tourists may start coming soon. The department is worried that if Rajwada is not started on time, how will it attract tourists to the city.
According to Prakash Paranjpe, deputy director of the Archaeological Department, due to the ongoing renovation work on the Rajwada for a long time, the income from tourists has stopped. The Archaeological Commissioner has written a letter to the Indore Divisional Commissioner demanding that the maintenance work be completed soon so that the museum gallery can also be started here. According to NK Swarnakar, Regional Manager of MP State Tourism Development Corporation, the light and sound show is closed at Rajwada. Tourists cannot be taken there due to maintenance work. Work is going on in Lalbagh also under the Smart City Project, so tourists cannot be taken there too. In this way the city is not getting any benefit in the field of tourism.
Trying to finish the work before the rain
Smart City Project CEO Rishab Gupta says that the maintenance work of the Rajwada is an effort to complete before the rains. Efforts are being made to complete this work by May.
Posted By: Sameer Deshpande