![DSS president and former Minister Gulchain Singh Charak, and others during a press conference at Jammu. -Excelsior/Rakesh DSS president and former Minister Gulchain Singh Charak, and others during a press conference at Jammu. -Excelsior/Rakesh](https://cdndailyexcelsior.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/page5-5-15-696x445.jpg)
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 22: President of Dogra Sadar Sabha (DSS) and former Cabinet Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Thakur Gulchain Singh Charak today appealed the Government to upgrade Doordarshan (DD) Kendra Jammu into full-fledged Duggar Satellite Channel immediately without any further delay.
He reiterated that in addition to its culture and language based requirement, the intervention was necessary to counter false propaganda being telecast by Pakistan TV against India from across the Border/LoC. He emphasized that launching of Duggar Channel and rejuvenation of DD Jammu was highly essential now than any time earlier.
The former Minister was addressing a press conference, here today. He was accompanied by Col Karan Singh, Prem Sagar Gupta, Col Dr Virendra K Sahi, Ghambir Dev Singh, Amanat Ali Shah, C M Sharma, Jagdeep Singh, Narinder Singh Jamwal and Ravi Singh. He disclosed that on 14 February 2014, it was decided in a meeting of the Prasar Bharati Board that the Doordarshan Kendras of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Jammu will be upgraded to Satellite Channel, but unfortunately, all others except Jammu got it.
Charak also emphatically reiterated the necessity of a serious Government initiative for revival and rejuvenation of the Annual Jammu Festival/Duggar Festival in all the districts of Jammu region on a large scale, to mark the forthcoming Baisakhi celebrations this year. He stressed that all concerned Government Machinery, Tourism and Culture Departments, local artists, singers, dancers, musicians, religious organizations, etc. must be sensitized and involved in such a way that the festival doesn’t remain a mere formality, but people actively participate in the mega-event.
The demand for throwing open the General NC Vij Road, that has been barricaded along the front gates of Civil Secretariat Jammu for common people, was raised once again by Charak. He stressed that the barricades had badly divided the old Jammu City into two halves putting the people into immense trouble. He proposed that the security concerns could be duly addressed by making suitable arrangements within the sprawling Civil Secretariat campus.