As it is a known fact that the central government has turned down the AP government’s proposal for 50 per cent equity participation to convert INS Viraat into a museum, an online petition has been filed urging the ministry of defence to convert the decommissioned aircraft carrier into a museum.
Vikram Gulati filed this petition on March 1 in the website www.change.org which has garnered nearly 20,074 supporters in the last three weeks. In his post, Gulati petitioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi, former defence minister Manohar Parikkar and the defence ministry to convert the aircraft carrier into a museum and base it in Vizag.
“The AP government had submitted a proposal in October last year requesting 50 per cent equity participation by the ministry of defence in their proposed special purpose vehicle for converting the aircraft carrier into a museum.”
The proposal to convert the aircraft carrier into a museum was likely to cost around Rs 1,000 crore with an annual maintenance cost of around Rs 150 crore.
Gulati said, “Converting INS Viraat into a museum will allow all India citizens to see what life on board an aircraft carrier is like, something that very few people are normally able to experience. It can continue to serve as an inspiration for young men and women who aspire to join India’s defence forces.”
