Hyderabad, Feb 11: The Andhra Pradesh government has decided to appoint a consultant to project positively the archaeological sites of the state before Unesco to get the world heritage status.
State Principal Tourism and Culture Secretary Chandana Khan said that a committee, headed by archaeology and museums director Kedareshwari, was formed to look into the matter of applying for world heritage status.
She said the committee would explore the possibility of taking the services of those experts, who had guided other states, to get 'world heritage status' for their historic sites.
Asked whether there was any possibility for getting world heritage status for Hyderabad, Khan said it was difficult. ''However, we can try for some historical sites,'' she added.
Referring to the task undertaken by the department, she said that in Hyderabad, the protection and beautification works were under way at Qutb Shahi, Mons Raymond and Paigah tombs. The city tombs would be open to public by April 01 and the entry fee for each of the tombs had been fixed at Rs 10 for adults and Rs 5 for children, she added.
Qutb Shahi tombs would be open daily till 2130 hrs instead of 1700 hrs. The department was also making efforts to introduce a heritage bus, for a visit to the tombs in city, she informed.
The official said the department was coming up with a war museum at Khazana Building Museum in Golconda. Apart from this, establishment of Islamic art museum at Badeshahi Ashurkhana, setting up of Bidri ware and textile museum at Lepakshi building and commissioning of sculptural gallery at Andhra Pradesh state museum were under way.
She said similar works were undertaken for five state-maintained historic forts and two forts managed by the Archaeological Survey of India. In this connection, the department had plans to release a brochure these forts, she explained.
Bureau Report
