Excelsior Correspondent
KATHUA Apr 13: To promote Basohli Pashmina shawls, paintings, Ayurveda and tourism, Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Kumar Singh today inaugurated – Sakki Darshan – Painting Centre-cum-Museum at Basohli.
MLA Bani Jeevan Lal, ADDC Kathua Narinder Singh Bali, SDM Basohli Gurmukh Singh, Tehsildar Vijay Sharma, SDPO Jagdev Singh, Members from J&K Study Centre, Chairman Vishwasthali JR Brahmi, prominent citizens and people from different walks of life were present.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Singh said Basohli town is famous for its painting and Pashmina shawls. The world famous Basohli Pashmina has an unrivalled status as a luxury fiber due to its extreme fineness, softness, its scarcity in relation to other fibers and its mystique, he said and added that Basohli Pashmina shawls are famous not only throughout the country but globally as well.
Dr Singh said Basohli is also widely known for its paintings called Basohli paintings, which are considered the first school of Pahari paintings. He assured that adequate steps will be taken to promote artistic activities in the area so that these provide adequate source of livelihood to the locals as well as the unemployed youths. He asked the unemployed youth to change their mindset and further start their own ventures so that they can provide works to other also.
For the promotion of tourism in the areas especially near the Ranjit Sagar Dam and in the other parts of the district, Dr Singh assured the people that all possible efforts will be put in to bring the area on tourism map.
On this occasion, cultural program was also performed by the local artists of Basohli which was highly appreciated by the Deputy Chief Minister as well as the audience.
To encourage the farmers to grow medicinal herbs in the area, Sumit Yadav from Delhi threw light on the Gram Arogya Yojana, a new scheme meant for the growth of the aromatic plants. It was further informed that this project not only enables local farmers to usher in a new area of cultivation but also proves economically beneficial to them.
En-route Deputy Chief Minister also laid foundation stone of tube well at Dhalli in Dayalachak which will supply water to three village viz. Dhalli, Banuchak, Dayalachak. He instructed the concerned officers to maintain quality while ensuring timely completion of the project. He also instructed the concerned Sarpanch to monitor the work regularly.