PPP ideal for conservation of heritage: Maharana of Mewar

Public-private partnerships are the "ideal" way to preserve the country's heritage, according to Maharana Arvind Singh Mewar.
Mewar, who is the 76th and present custodian of the Mewar Dynasty of Rajasthan, is currently the Managing Trustee for the Maharana Mewar Charitable Foundation (MMCF) here that aims to conserve and promote Indian culture and heritage.
The foundation manages The City Palace Museum which came up in the 16th century and comprises a series of palaces and courtyards spread across an area of 20,000 square metres.
"I think the ideal way would be a public private partnership which is very feasible. The government can own the museums and artefacts.

"I think they (government) only fear that if that goes into the hands of private people, it will get squandered. They should know that those genuinely interested in preservation are not interested in ownership," Mewar told PTI.
According to him, a PPP between the stakeholders and the government will give a sense of ownership and help revitalise the conservation work and arts.

The museum, with an annual average footfall of around seven lakh visitors, is one of the major attractions of the city.
It hosts a range of exhibitions and galleries throughout the year including a silver museum, a sculpture gallery, an exhibition each on the royal collection of musical instruments and the royal textiles and costumes.

MMCF, which has been working on its own resources for the preservation and development of the City Palace Museum, feels that government grants for the purpose will speed up and add an impetus to the project.
"Grants will enable the museum to hire the best experts and use latest technologies in conservation, preservation and display, and enriching the museum experience to be more educative, interesting and interactive while safeguarding it for the future generations," it said.