WARANGAL: Even after years of waiting, the relocation of the State Archaeology Department Museum remains in limbo. The decades-old museum, currently located at the Greater Warangal Municipal Corporation (GWMC) office, has been under neglect due to poor maintenance and the dilapidated condition of the building it is in.
The existing museum houses 1,200 artefacts, including paintings, coins, bronzes, arms, weapons, sculptures and inscriptions from the Western Chalukyas and Kakatiya dynasties. These pieces are set to be moved to a new location at Fort Warangal. Land for the new museum was allocated by the previous BRS government, and 80% of the construction work was completed six years ago. However, the state government has not taken further steps to finish the remaining work, sources said.
The Congress government might complete the unfinished construction at Fort Warangal, and there is hope that Endowments Minister Konda Surekha will take the initiative to open the new museum. Warangal, the second-largest city in Telangana after the capital Hyderabad, has a rich history, but many tourists and residents remain unaware of the museum and its significance.
Speaking to TNIE, State Archaeology Assistant Director B Mallu Naik said they had appealed to minister Surekha and district Collector Dr Satya Sharada to allocate Rs 3 crore for the completion of the new building and the museum’s relocation. “We are waiting for funds from the state government,” Naik added.
Attempts to reach the district collector for a comment on the matter were unsuccessful.