Lokmat News Network
Aurangabad, Dec 9:
If the sources are to be believed, the Government of Maharashtra (GoM) and the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) are hesitant in handing over the possession of Visitors Centres at world heritage sites Ajanta and Ellora to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI, Aurangabad Circle). Instead, they have geared up to explore alternate possibilities of running the centres, at least on a 'No profit No loss' basis, but on their own!
TVCs are not profit-making ventures
According to highly placed sources in MTDC (Head Office, Mumbai), " The annual (recurring) expense of these two centres is between Rs 10 crore and Rs 12 crore. Of which, the major expense includes electricity charges and water taxes. The expense of Ajanta Visitors Centre (AVC) is 60 per cent and 40 per cent is of Ellora Visitors Centre (EVC). The centres were constructed through a soft-loan granted by the then Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) for the convenience of tourists. The electricity and water charges are exorbitant (of commercial category), therefore, if these amenities are provided at subsidised rates MTDC is ready to operate them from tomorrow. The JBIC has provided funds to meet the capital expenses, but the MTDC has to face hardship in meeting the recurring expenses. They are not profit-making ventures, but enact as facilitation centres aiming at benefitting tourists in large number."
Efforts to ride white elephants underway by MTDC
"The centres have world-class facilities, but for the past two years, the discussion to decide their fate could not be initiated as health safety (due to Coronavirus) is on top priority. MTDC is the custodian of TVCs. Now, the union and the state Ministry of Tourism should find a way out to ease the financial burden. So far, a couple of meetings have been held at our ministry level with ASI and other key officials in connection with TVCs and other tourism-related issues. The efforts are underway to generate income with the help of ASI to meet these recurring expenses and make them sustainable, at least run on a 'no profit no loss' basis. Various angles are being explored to run TVCs (especially of Ajanta) including through viability gap funding scheme," underlined the sources. Despite knowing the facts, the ASI had requested the state ministry of tourism (MoT) to hand over visitors centres to them.
Single common ticket at Ajanta
" The talks with the ASI on introducing single common ticket for tourists is also underway. We will provide space for ASI to issue entry tickets at Ajanta and Ellora. Notably, our effort is that one single common ticket should be issued at the visitors centre in Ajanta. The ticket will include charges of a shuttle bus, parking of vehicles, amenities and entry fee at the AVC, apart from ASI's entry charges. Few more meetings will be held to finalise or reach upon the conclusion," explained the key sources from the head office.
No question of handing over TVCs
There is no provision to hand over the TVCs to ASI. If they are having adequate manpower and can meet the recurring expense annually then its headquarter should approach the state government and state MoT in this regard. We have already reserved one block for ASI in each TVC," opined the MTDC sources.
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When contacted MTDC (head office) executive engineer (projects) Vinay Wavdhane confirmed that ASI has tabled the proposal of handing over the Visitors Centres at Ajanta and Ellora before the Government of Maharashtra (GoM) and MTDC during the recent meetings. However, he refused to throw more light on the demand, saying that we are also exploring other possibilities of making the centres sustainable on our own, he stressed.