MULTAN: Punjab Archeology department has accorded approval to PC-1 of a museum in Multan to be completed in two-year period at a cost of Rs 80 million to meet a decades old demand of the people of the city of saints.
The government also approved PC-1 of another museum at Harappa as a site museum to showcase antiquities from the ancient site of Harappa. This project would also be completed in two years at a cost of Rs 80 million, In-charge Archeology department Multan Malik Ghulam Muhammad told APP on Monday.
Development on Multan museum came as a delight for the people particularly after they had witnessed a previous unsuccessful attempt to build a museum in the heart of the city at clock-tower building. The plan to convert over a century old Victorian era clock tower building was shelved due to certain reasons and a new spacious site was selected near Archeology department office at water works road that is in the proximity of the old site.
Malik Ghulam Muhammad said that the map plan and drawings have been approved adding that a sum of Rs 67 million has been allocated for the buildings department to build a single storey edifice while remaining Rs 13 million would be utilized by the Archeology department to acquire machinery/equipment, furniture and fixtures, showcases to display antiquities, installing a security system, interior decoration befitting a museum, deployment of temporary staff and other requirements.
The official said that Rs 1.5 million worth of antiquities the department had acquired for Multan museum during previous attempt at the museum project would also be displayed at the museum to be built at the new site.
He said that the new site is located at the foot of Qasim Fort mound, a breast wall would be built at its back to sustain pressure from the soil. The museum would have four same size galleries 30x30 feet, as many lobbies connecting the galleries, and a 40x40 lobby in the middle that the visitors would encounter soon after crossing the main gate. It would also have curator office, staff room, a verandah before the entrance, a conference hall/library in the basement besides separate toilets for males and females. A sum of Rs 20 million has been allocated for the fiscal year 2021-22 and remaining funding would be released in 2022-23.
The Harappa site museum would also cost Rs 80 million including Rs 48 million to be utilized by buildings department and remaining Rs 32 million by the Archeology department.
Work would begin as soon as the funding is released, the official said adding that government was committed to complete these projects within specified period.