CS led EC approves dozens of projects for revival of local heritage

‘Focus on addl services at new Children Hospital Srinagar’

Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Aug 13: Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo, today chaired the 2nd Executive Committee Meeting of the Society for Revival, Restoration, Preservation and Maintenance of Heritage in J&K.
Besides the Principal Secretary, Culture; the meeting was attended by Principal Secretary, APD; Principal Secretary, Finance; Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir/ Jammu, Kashmir/Jammu; Director, Archives & Archaeology; Engineer-in-Chief and other concerned officers.
The Chief Secretary took this occasion to enjoin upon the department to develop and restore these places as per local ethos and culture keeping aesthetic appeal of each of these into consideration.
He urged them to take heritage locations from each district that needs to be restored and revived. He asked them to take people aspirations and demands into consideration too while taking up such works in the length and breadth of the UT.
The Principal Secretary, Culture, Suresh Kumar Gupta, informed the meeting that in the 1st Executive Committee meeting 35 proposals with respect to revival and restoration of heritage sites were considered and approved with total financial implications of Rs. 6556.36 lakh most of which had been completed now.
It was given out that District level Coordination-cum-Implementation Committees constituted under the scheme have recommended 126 projects/works for value-based revival/restoration of heritage sites.
Moreover, the committee considered these proposals and gave go ahead in favour of dozens of them for their early Revival, Restoration, Preservation and Maintenance as per set procedures.
Few of the sites to be taken up this year includes Poonch Fort, Baldev Ji Temple Jammu, Ancient Mint at Basholi, old heritage of Uttervehini, Rattangarh Fort Doda, Raghunath Ji Temple Channi Sunderbani, Machail Mata Temple Padder, Asthapan of Shah Asrar Ud-DinBagdadi Kishtwar, Pakka Pond at Jaganoo (Udhampur).
These also includes places like Khanqahi Naqashband Sahib (Sgr), Hazrat Syed Mohammad Jan Baz Wali (RA) at Khanpora (Bla), Neolithic site at Gufkral Tral, Imambara Qadeem Hussaini Mohalla Shilvat (Sonawari), Shri Mata Baderkali temple at Wadipora Handwara, Sheikh Ul Aalam Shrine at Qaimoh Kulgam, Uma Bhagwati Asthpan Brari Angan(Uttresoo), Baba Naseeb-ud-din Gazi Shrine at Bijbehara, Ziyarat Asaar Shareif Pinjoora (Shopian), Markazi Imam Bara Budgam besides number of others all across J&K.
Meanwhile, Chief Secretary held a meeting of Health & Medical Education (H&ME) Department to take appraisal of the functioning of newly established 500 Bedded Children Hospital.
Those present includes Secretary, Health; Principal, GMC Srinagar; Director, Health Kashmir; Administrator, Associated Hospitals, Kashmir; several HoDs of Paediatric Hospital and other concerned officers.
The Chief Secretary while taking assessment of the facilities being provided at the new 500 Bedded Paediatric Hospital at Bemina observed that the aim of shifting this hospital from GB Pant, Sonwar was to upgrade the facilities and introduction of all the high-end procedures under one roof.
He maintained that it should be the endeavour of the hospital administration to meet these objectives without any delay as the infrastructure of the hospital has been highly upgraded. He underscored the need for introduction of all the high-end procedures and diagnostics related to paediatric care in a specific timeline.
Dulloo also enjoined upon the officers of the department to go for hiring/recruitment of full time faculty to fill all the vacancies there. He called for making strenuous efforts to get these critical positions of Professors, Associate Professors and others filled at an earliest so that the hospital extends best medical care to the patients in addition to introduction of DM or Fellowships under different specialities there.
He stressed on formulating a strategy to increase the seats in DM and that of Senior Residents (SRs) in the hospital to create a pool of experts in all the sub-specialities of Paediatrics in the UT.
The Secretary, H&ME, Dr Syed Abid Rashid Shah gave out the current status of services in the hospital with that of the plans to make it state of the art paediatric medical facility in the region.