Security personnel on the premises of Gaya Museum. Picture by Suman

State art, culture and youth affairs minister Sukhda Pandey, who visited Gaya Museum on Thursday, has asked the district administration to shift security personnel staying in its auditorium to a suitable place.

The personnel of district armed police and home guards have been camping at the museum auditorium and other parts of its campus since 2010 Assembly elections.

Apart from problems like shortage of employees and lack of maintenance of the exhibits, the personnel on the campus have been one of the reasons behind low turnout of visitors at the Gaya Museum-cum-Magadh Cultural Centre located south of Gandhi Maidan.

On an average, the number of visitors at Patna Museum is 500 per day. The museum in Bodhgaya receives around 50 visitors every day. In sharp contrast, the Gaya Museum receives around two visitors per day.

In 2011, around 870 people visited the Gaya Museum between the first week of June and the last week of December. Since January 2012, only 270 people have visited it.

As the twin cities of Gaya and Bodhgaya have religious and tourist importance because of the Vishnupad Temple, the world heritage Mahabodhi Mahavihara and 45 monasteries of Buddhist countries, the Gaya Museum has the potential to attract visitors, which is not visible at the ground-level.

Gaya Museum curator Parshuram Pandey told The Telegraph that he had requested the art and culture department secretary in writing to shift the personnel from the museum campus. The copy of the letter has also been sent to the Magadh division commissioner and the Gaya district magistrate.

In the letter, Pandey has stated that the cemented construction and the electric wiring of the auditorium have been damaged at many places.

“Now, after the visit of the minister, we are hopeful that the security personnel will be shifted from the campus,” Pandey said.

Mostly research scholars from Delhi, Patna and other places visit the museum, Pandey said. The museum is famous for stone sculptures. Exhibits of various natures, including sculpture, paintings, manuscripts and artefacts, revealing the ancient way of life have been preserved at the museum.

When contacted, Gaya senior superintendent of police (SSP) Vinay Kumar told The Telegraph that he got the information that the personnel were staying in the auditorium of the museum.

“The personnel were there before I had joined as SSP Gaya on February 14, 2011. No written request for shifting the personnel has come from the curator of the museum. In view of the direction from the art, culture and youth affairs minister, we will soon ensure that the security personnel are shifted,” the SSP said.