In an order issued on Thursday, Uddhav Thackeray led Maharashtra government will initiate conservation of six forts in the first phase in the state and special monitoring committees with avid mountaineers and fort lovers will be created to monitor it.
The order stated that six Shivaji-era forts will be picked in the first phase and the works will be directly monitored by the chief minister's office. Thackeray said that attempts should be made to take the locals into confidence and work in connection with them.
The order said that a tourist center should be set up in the villages at the foothills of the forts and the local biodiversity should be protected and even developed. To make it engaging for guests, the historic context of the fort, the battles or key occasions that happened there, the wildlife, the forest sources, needs to be highlighted.
The vacationer centre ought to have all the knowledge that a tourist would need. Thackeray mentioned that whereas doing all this, care needs to be taken to make sure that the archaeological significance of the fort is just not affected.
The CM has mooted the idea of bringing all the forts under one single department for their beautification and conservation under the CMO office.
Earlier only five Shivaji-era forts were opted for conservation-namely-Shivneri and Torna in Pune district along with Sindhudurg, Vijaydurg and Sudhagad had been chosen and later Rajgad fort was added to the list.
The order also stated that a comprehensive plan will be prepared and also light and sound shows, developing ropeways in some of the forts should be considered.
