Akhilesh lays foundation of Mughal Museum in Agra

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav laid the foundation stones of a Mughal Museum, a Street Cafeteria, an Agra Heritage Centre and a Taj Orientation Centre here on Tuesday.

Accompanied by Tourism Minister Om Prakash Singh and senior officials, Yadav unveiled the plaques of the four buildings that are being built in the vicinity of the Taj Mahal.

Addressing the select gathering, the 42-year-old chief minister said that his government had accorded the rightful priority to the tourism sector and many initiatives had been taken to promote tourism in the state.

Officials told IANS that the Mughal Museum would be built on a six-acre land.

The museum would come up near the eastern gate of the Taj Mahal and would be located some 1,300 metres away from the monument.

It would be used to apprise the tourists of the Mughal era, their weapons, dresses, culture and many other things, an official said.

The Taj Orientation Centre would be built by razing the existing Shilpgram and would have an open air theatre and an underground parking.

The Street Cafeteria would be built on the PAC ground at Fatehabad road by the Agra Development Authority (ADA). It would be a two-storeyed building having eight food stalls, one pavilion, two restaurants among other amenities, an official of the tourism department told IANS.

The Agra Heritage Centre would come up at the Vaishya Hostel on an area of 11,000 square metres and would be used to promote tourism, art, culture and education.