Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 21: The 3-member sub-committee constituted by the Union Ministry of Culture for assessing the funding requirements for the renovation of the prestigious Abhinav Theatre, Jammu and the Tagore Hall, Srinagar today visited the Abhinav Theatre and inspected the ongoing renovation and repair work.
The sub-committee will visit Srinagar on Monday to have similar assessment of the ongoing work at the Tagore Hall.
Comprising noted theatre experts Bansi Koul, M.K. Raina and Suresh Bhardwaj, the committee was briefed about the project through a power point presentation. During their inspection of the theatre the experts sought information on various points which was provided by the project executing agency.
Secretary Academy, Khalid Bashir Ahmad, officers of the project executing agency and Additional Secretaries of the Academy, Savita Bakhshi and Haroon Rashid were present.
The visit of the newly constituted sub-committee comes as a follow up to the decision taken by the Central Government to fund in part the renovation and repair of the State’s two prestigious theatres under the Tagore Cultural Centre scheme. The release of central share was linked with the on-spot visit of the sub-committee to guide the project executing agency.
The visit had been on cards for quite some time now. The Abhinav Theatre and the Tagore Hall renovation projects are estimated at Rs. 5.27 crore and Rs. 12.96 respectively.
The sub-committee is expected to submit its report to the Ministry of Culture by Thursday.