Nitish inspects work on tunnel connecting two museums

Patna, Dec 27 (PTI) Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday inspected work on an under-construction tunnel connecting the Bihar Museum and the Patna Museum, an official statement said.

While Patna Museum is an over-a-century-old building, the state-of-the-art Bihar Museum was opened in 2015 to house collections that exceeded the Patna Museum's capacity.

Kumar directed the officials concerned to ensure the timely completion of the tunnel project and maintain quality standards.

"It should be ensured that the construction work is completed at the earliest and in a manner that there is no inconvenience to traffic movement on Nehru Path," he said.

The chief minister said the tunnel would allow visitors to move easily between the Bihar Museum and the Patna Museum and view exhibits seamlessly.

"Once the tunnel is completed, tourists will be able to visit both museums conveniently, which will lead to a significant increase in tourist footfall," Kumar said.

He also toured the Bihar Museum, with its Director General Anjani Kumar Singh briefing him on new exhibits, visitor footfall and facilities, according to the CMO statement.

The CM also reviewed the progress of the redevelopment of 60 residential units and the officers' hostel campus opposite the Bihar Museum.

Officials informed the CM through a site plan that an 11-storey building is being constructed, with sufficient parking facilities and a clubhouse.

Directing officials to speed up the work, Kumar said, "It has long been our intention to replace old structures with modern multi-storey buildings equipped with all necessary amenities." He asserted that the project would improve housing facilities along the Nehru Path. PTI SUK ACD