CS assesses efforts made for revival, restoration and conservation of heritage in J&K

Srinagar: Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo on Wednesday chaired a meeting of the Culture Department to assess the measures taken for the revival, restoration, preservation, and maintenance of J&K’s heritage and unique architecture here.
The meeting besides Principal Secretary, Culture Department was attended by Secretary, PWD; Commissioner, SMC/JMC; ED, Mubarak Mandi Heritage Complex; Director, Libraries; Secretary, Academy of Art, Culture & Languages; Director, Archaeology & Archives; Chief Engineers and other concerned officers.
During this meeting the Chief Secretary took comprehensive review of the status of the each work undertaken under capex and heritage conservation scheme. He emphasized upon the Department to take keen interest in completing all the works going on for the last year.
Dulloo maintained that all the works for revival and restoration of heritage are significant for protecting our rich past for our future generations. He made out that every effort should be made to conserve this historical treasure trove in a highly professional manner in order to present the same to heritage lovers in an aesthetic fashion.
The Chief Secretary also enjoined upon them to accord the administrative approval to all the works that are to be taken up here. He stressed on the fact that these works should be taken up without any delay for their completion on time.
On observing the current status of different architecture and heritage conservation projects the Department of Archaeology & Archives was instructed to intensify the restoration efforts, ensuring visible progress on the ground. They were further asked to strike a balance in choosing the projects in each district so that the heritage and architectural monuments widely spread here are protected for posterity.
As far as the cultural revitalization of Mubarak Mandi Heritage Complex (MMHC) is concerned the Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, was directed to transform MMHC into a culturally vibrant space by organizing cultural evenings in collaboration with the Academy of Art, Culture & Languages.
The Chief Secretary also emphasised upon the adaptive reuse of restored structures at MMHC. The Department of Archaeology was tasked with developing a robust reuse plan for restored structures at MMHC. He also called for putting to use the newly constructed reading room cum cafeteria besides taking steps for creating enough parking space near this heritage complex at an earliest.
The Chief Secretary reviewed the progress made in conserving and modernization of old SPS Museum, Srinagar besides the revised DPR for completion of new Museum building here as per the past directives.
The meeting also included an assessment of major heritage-related projects, including restoration and development of Shergarhi Palace, construction of Tehzeeb Mahal, and installation of a vertical lift between the Cable Car Project (Peerkho) & Mubarak Mandi Complex and creation of exclusive parking for heritage complex by JMC.
In his presentation the Principal Secretary, Culture Department, Brij Mohan Sharms, informed the meeting about the pace and progress of projects being executed here under different phases of Revival, Restoration, Preservation and Maintenance of Architecture and Heritage besides those taken up under the capex by the Department.
He apprised the meeting that the Department is going to collaborate with IUST and SMVDU for the conservation and protection of our heritage here in the J&K. He also divulged that during the ensuing financial year a budgetary allocation of Rs 132 Cr had been made for the Department with a massive share of Rs 120 Cr for heritage conservation included that of the prestigious Mubarak Mandi Heritage Complex.
Additionally he made out that funds to the tune of Rs 2 Cr had been projected for upgradation of Tagore Hall, Srinagar, Rs 2.23 Cr for the upgradation of Abhinav Theatre, Jammu, and Rs 1.50 Cr for upgradation of Kala Kendra, Jammu too.
Under the first phase 33 projects had been taken-up at an estimated cost of Rs 64.25 Cr. Under phase 2nd a total of 73 projects had been identified out of which DPRs for 71 projects stands prepared and administrative approval to 61 granted by the Department.
The Director, Archives, Archaeology & Museums, K.K Sidha informed the meeting about the status of works accomplished to modernize the SPS Museum, Srinagar and the scope of works to be taken up in the newly formulated DPR.
He also threw light on the status of projects including that of the upcoming Tehzeeb Mahal, restoration works going on at Shergarhi Palace and those at Mubarak Mandi complex.
The meeting was informed about the Department’s efforts made in the direction to enlist the 6 Mughal Gardens of the valley as World Heritage Sites by the UNESCO. It also was apprised about the number of archaeological sites that are going to be declared as ‘protected sites’ by the ASI soon.
The meeting also discussed the working of public libraries here and the plan of the Department to construct the new District and Tehsil libraries where the infrastructure is not up-to-date. It was revealed that a total of 131 libraries are functional in the length and breadth of the valley with SRS Library, Jammu and SPS Library, Srinagar among the 10 pioneering libraries in India.
About the working of libraries it was said that these house about 14 lakh books and 5580 manuscripts receiving a footfall of around 3.83 lakh per year. Additionally about the Oriental Research Library it was given out that it houses 33045Printed Books, 166 Miniature Paintings,150 Microfilms, 850Rare Books and had published 125 titles of the authors across the UT. The department also boasted of protecting the oldest manuscript by Qarabadin written in Arabic Language on medicine which is nearly 750 years old, thus making it the most significant historical document available with them.
While taking assessment of the digitization efforts made by the department it was revealed that the department had already digitized 25.80 lakh pages of archival repository at Srinagar and 55 lakh pages of the Archival Repository at Jammu including 1054 manuscripts at Srinagar and 183 at Jammu with the rest of the work to be completed in a time-bound manner here.