Railways Ministry's plan to turn CSMT into museum chugs into controversy

The Railway Ministrys plan to convert the 130yearold Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus CSMT building in south Mumbai into a museum has run into a controversy with architects and rail employees raising objections over the move While the architects say it is difficult and impractical to turn this iconic complex the administrative headquarters of the Central Railway CR into a museum the railway unions say relocation will cause inconvenience to the employees currently working there Railway Minister Piyush Goyal during his visit to the CSMT in November last year had announced to convert this busy train terminus into a worldclass museumYesterday the railway authorities invited expression of interest EoI to develop the museum and also formed an advisory board to execute the plan As per the directions of the Under secretary Establishment of the Railway Board the advisory board will be chaired by the General Manager of CR and comprise five other members who will conceptualise finalise and recommend the plan for the proposed museum Conservation architect Vikas Dilawari expressed his reservations over the project saying A museum requires many things like a narrative a storyline It also requires a curatorial team for the display of collection The CSMT is roughly as huge as the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya CSMVS museum also in South Mumbai So its not so easy to convert it into a museum The CSMT was designed for a different purpose he addedListed as a World Heritage structure in 2005 this imposing structure was designed by British architect Frederick William Stevens Stevens who worked for the British colonial government in India was entrusted with the task of designing the CSMT formerly Victoria Terminus building in 1877 It took 10 years to complete the structure which is built in the IndoSaracenic style of architecture The CSMT is the originating and terminating station for hundreds of express and suburban trains in which around 30 lakh people commute daily The building already has a small museum inside it Another noted citybased architect said the plan to create a museum will face practical hindrances and challenges Museums are created in the buildings that have outlived their original usefulness like the Orsay Museum in ParisThe CSMT is a fully functional building and was integrally designed to be a train station he said Only the lower floor of this building which is a bit redundant can be converted into a museum to some extent The offices there can be relocated he opined The plan will hit practical roadblocks tooDo you think that an old engine can be placed on the first floor to be showcased as an artifact A rail museum would be incomplete without the railway tracks So where is the space for it to lay the tracks he asked The railway employees are also up in arms against the proposalCentral Railway Mazdoor Sangh CRMS a recognised rail union of CR employees had recently held a protest against the move at the headquarters and vowed to continue doing it till the ministry withdraws its plan This building is a matter of pride not just for the CR but for the Indian Railways and the country The railway ministers plan to convert the grand building into a museum would damage its grandeur Employees will suffer as they have to move out from here We will oppose the plan at any cost Pravin Bajpai general secretary of CRMS said The railway administration however says that once the museum is complete it would be even more remarkable The railway department had done a proper homework before the announcement was made So they should better wait and watch Once done it would be a very nice thing to watch It will be even more monumental a top CR official saidCatch up on all the latest Crime National International and Hatke news here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updatesThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever