Kathmandu, August 8:

The Department of Archaeology will seek Rs 28.6 million from the government for the development of the Narayanhiti Palace as a national museum.

“We will ask the government to provide Rs 16.3 million for turning the palace into a museum and Rs 12.3 million for payment of salary to staffers for a year. We need this fund immediately to run the country’s first and only national museum,” said acting director-general at the Department of Archaeology Bishnu Raj Karki.

The department has prepared a report to facilitate the development of the palace as a museum. The report will be presented to the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation on Sunday. Karki said 135 staffers would look after the museum.“All staffers will be picked from government offices,” Karki said.