Madurai Member of Parliament Su. Venkatesan said that the allocation of ₹31.93 crore for the Department of Archaeology would do wonders for research and development in Tamil Nadu.
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Speaking to The Hindu from Delhi, the MP said that until this year, there has been a huge shortage of manpower and funds to carry out research, particularly in places like Keeladi and Adichanallur.
“The amount will go towards fostering a better understanding of Tamil Nadu’s contribution to documenting the history of ancient civilisations. It is nice to see that the results at Keeladi have spurred the government to allocate more money to take a deeper look into where we have come from,” he said.
He added that the amount coupled with ₹12.20 crore to construct an international-level museum in Konthagai village located 12 km away from Madurai, will surely help reconstructing past history.
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“The State government should ensure that they form a committee of experts from the fields of history, anthropology, archaeology and literature to determine how the museum should be built. If it is merely a department exercise, it will not have the necessary perspectives and will not provide a wholesome Tamil perspective,” he said.