Chief Secretary led Executive Committee approves dozens of projects for revival and restoration of local heritage

SRINAGAR: Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo, on Tuesday 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 peoples 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 lacs 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.