41 kanals land at village Jagti transferred to ICMR
Project allotted to HLL Infra Tech Services Ltd
Govind Sharma
JAMMU, Jan 3: In a major achievement for Jammu and Kashmir Government, North Zone Unit of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)- National Institute of Virology (NIV) is being established at Jagti in Nagrota area of Jammu.
Official sources told Excelsior that this mega project under the Prime Minister- Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM) initiative of the Government of India, Department of Health & Research (Ministry of Health & Family Welfare), is coming up at village Jagti of tehsil Nagrota in Jammu district at an approximate cost of Rs 45 crore.
Sources said to strengthen the Public Health Infrastructure effectively and respond towards any future pandemics and outbreaks, PM-Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PMABHIM) was announced in Budget 21-22 on 1st February 2021, post COVID pandemic.
As per sources, North Zone Unit of ICMR-NIV was originally planned for Chandigarh, but it was relocated to Jammu due to a land dispute, with the J&K administration approving the transfer of the land measuring 41 Kanal and 4 Marla under Khasra Number 454 in village Jagti of Nagrota tehsil in favour of ICMR-NIV, Department of Health & Research, Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.
“Recently, the Government of J&K has completed the process of transfer of land,” sources stated, adding, “the project has been allotted to HLL Infra Tech Services Limited (HITES), a subsidiary of HLL Lifecare Limited, which is a Government of India Enterprise under Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, and the construction work of the boundary wall of the land has also been started”.
Sources revealed that this North Zone NIV Unit will have the state of art Bio-safety level 2 and 3 laboratories for providing diagnostic testing support, surveillance and research through capacity building and training of collaborators on viruses and other pathogens having the epidemic potential, including the Zoonosis of public health importance.
“Besides the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, this Institute will cater to States of Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand and Union territories of Delhi and Chandigarh,” they said, adding, it is poised to play a crucial role in addressing virus disease outbreaks through the application of epidemiological and diagnostic tools.
Sources maintained that the NIV Jammu is set to contribute significantly by offering post-graduate courses, training, and research in various diseases, including Influenza, Encephalitis, Dengue, Chikungunya, Ebola, H1N1 and COVID-19. “The Institute would offer referral diagnostic services to individuals, communities, medical colleges, and research institutions,” they added.
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