Employees' Union Urges Government Takeover Amidst Concerns Over Asiatic Society of Mumbai

The employees' union of the 220-year-old Asiatic Society of Mumbai has urged the central government to take over the institution due to poor upkeep. The union highlighted failures in maintenance, fundraising, and administrative inefficiencies. They also demanded better salaries and a financial corpus for sustainable running of the society.

The employees' union of the 220-year-old Asiatic Society of Mumbai on Thursday made a plea to the Centre to assume control of the institution due to its 'poor upkeep'.

Located in the Town Hall at Horniman Circle, south Mumbai, the Asiatic Society boasts a treasure of literature, artefacts, and manuscripts. The Asiatic Society Of Mumbai Employees Union (ASMEU) accused the current managing committee of failing to secure the status of 'an institution of national importance' from the Union government.

During a press conference, ASMEU president Prakash Reddy criticized the managing committee for not raising sufficient funds, putting rare collections at risk. Reddy also demanded implementation of the 7th pay commission for the society's 25 employees and called for a corpus of Rs 50 crore for operational stability. "The preservation of 220 years of legacy is at stake," he asserted, urging the Maharashtra government to request the Union Ministry of Culture to take responsibility for the society.

(With inputs from agencies.)