Pimpri: Maharashtra to get its first regional centre of the National Academy of Arts

Pimpri, November 24, 2020: After four decades of continuous efforts to seek sanction from the central Government for establishing a regional centre of the National Academy of Arts or famously known ‘Lalit Kala Akademi’ in Maharashtra, the artists including painters, sculptors and craftsmen in the state can rejoice now. The centre has approved to set up the ‘Regional Centre of Lalit Kala Akademi’ in Maharashtra and it will be in Pune. A15 acres of land in the Pimpri-Chinchwad area has been allotted to set-up the centre.

The academy has its regional centers in Delhi, Lucknow, Kolkata, Chennai and Bhubaneswar. However, artists in Maharashtra were awaiting for its own regional centre. Artists had also agitated for 40 years in various ways demanding to set up this center in the state. Union Culture Minister Pralhad Singh Patel has approved to open one of the centres here in Pimpri-Chinchwad area.

The National Academy of Arts was established by the central government in 1954 as an autonomous national level institution to preserve and nurture Indian art, culture and traditions. Lalit Kala Akademi chairman Uttam Pacharne stated that the state government will soon transfer the space under an agreement with the academy. Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and senior leader Sharad Pawar have taken the initiative. A center for Lalit Kala Akademi is likely to be set up on a 15 acre land in Pimpri-Chinchwad municipal area at the existing place of a child development center. The construction of 50,000 square feet has been completed on this site. It is at present hosting as Corona center. On completion of the centre, it will be considered as a technology-equipped centre in the Western world which will be developed first in Pune, India.