Tourist visitor centres at Ajanta and Ellora shut down

Two visitor centres set up at Ajanta and Ellora caves have been shut down due to their pending electricity and water dues, which is worth INR 5 crore. The centres were set up by the Maharashtra Government with funding from the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

The said centres use to serve as a one-stop location for all information regarding the importance and history of these popular UNESCO heritage sites. These centres also had replicas of some sculptures inside the caves.
As per an official, the state government spent around INR 125 crore in two phases to set up these facilities, enhanced with facilities, such as libraries and audio-visual presentations. However, a major part of this share came from JICA, he added. Reportedly, the facilities were running smoothly all this while, until September last year, when they were suffering from the lack of power supply and water.
The official also stated that the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) needs around INR 10 crore to clear all the pending dues and turn these facilities operational, further adding that the government needs to pump in regular fun for proper functioning of such facilities.
These centres are of prime importance as they have replicas of sculptures in the Ajanta and Ellora caves; also, these facilities, with the use of multimedia, help tourists understand the Jataka tales, which in turn help in reducing the time spent by visitors in the caves, thereby improving the lifespan of these monuments, he informed.