High level central team arriving today

J&K busy in formulating strategy

SYED ALI SAFVI

SRINAGAR, Oct 4: The state government machinery is gearing up for crucial meetings with a top level central team comprising of secretaries and additional secretaries, which is likely to arrive here tomorrow. The purpose of their visit is to formulate new economic package for Jammu and Kashmir in view of the state government’s failure to optimally utilize a massive reconstruction plan of Rs 29000 crore sanctioned by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for the state way back in 2005.

The team’s visit will be followed by Prime Minister’s trip to Kashmir during which he is scheduled to flag off Qazigund-Anantnag railway line. While, the date of Prime Minister’s visit has not been announced yet, he is expected to arrive here this month only.

Besides announcing the new reconstruction plan, the prime minister is expected to invite the separatists for a new dialogue process. The process got dead locked after the separatists had rejected Dr Singh’s invitation to attend the round table conference here three years back.

However, the back channels recently got re-activated and created an atmosphere for the resumption of talks. This was evident from the statements of central government leaders including union home minister P. Chidambaram and Hurriyat Conference (M) chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq.

Immediately after his return from New York yesterday, Mirwaiz stated that his faction would respond positively to talks offer from the centre and their dialogue would be guided by the aspirations of Kashmiris.

Sources said the pressure is mounting on government of India to re-start the dialogue with separatists in Kashmir and Pakistani government. After the talks between Hurriyat (M) and centre, Mirwaiz and other leaders of his faction would be allowed to travel to Pakistan.

During his New York visit, Pakistani foreign minister Shah Mehmood Quereshi had invited Hurriyat (M) leadership to Islamabad for talks. Prior to talks, the Hurriyat (M) is expected to strongly demand the release of senior separatist leaders including Shabir Ahmad Shah from jail.

Official sources said that the state government machinery today remained busy in chalking out their strategy for talks with central team tomorrow.

The state government recently admitted that it had failed to utilise 78 per cent of the PM Reconstruction plan. The funds were to be utilized by March 2009.

“We have requested the government of India to extend the deadline and we hope it will be granted,” Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather had told the Legislative Assembly on August 22, 2009. He said that out of Rs 29954.85 crore received by the state under the scheme, Rs 6367.53 crore have been utilised on the various schemes and projects and blamed bureaucrats for the gross under-utilisation of funds.

The Prime Minister has decided to re-allot the lapsed funds to the state after Chief Minister Omar Abdullah personally made a request to this effect.

The team, headed by the Cabinet Secretary, would study the ground realities and after holding discussion with the state officers it will draw up a revised plan which will be presented to the Prime Minister.

The plan reportedly sanctioned Rs 634 crore for the Srinagar-Leh transmission but the money was not spent. Rs 1,470 crore was released for a sewerage and drainage project for Greater Jammu and Rs 1,741 for Greater Srinagar. The state failed to spend even a penny.

“The two cities of Jammu and Srinagar are facing severe sewerage problems, but the efficiency of the government can be seen from the fact that not a single penny has been spent on this project,” Panther’s Party legislator Harsh Dev Singh had told the Assembly.

The plan included renovation of houses and shrines at Kheer Bhavani and Mattan, construction of 200 flats at Budgam, construction of 5242 two-roomed tenements at Jammu for Kashmiri Migrants, rehabilitation of Border Migrants, etc

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had announced the Reconstruction Plan during his first visit to state in on November 17-18, 2004. The plan was to be implemented in three years but was extended several times. The funds were supposed to be utilised for restoring damaged infrastructure, creating new infrastructure for delivery of basic services and set off strategic interventions to address the shortfall and imbalances in the state’s economy. Sadly, the plan has failed to meet any of these goals.

Artists, art lovers throng Tagore hall

SYED ALI SAFVI

SRINAGAR, Sep Oct 1: Srinagar’s Tagore Hall was Thursday thronged by art buffs to get a glimpse into the creative world of artists. Hundreds of art lovers had come from different parts of the country to witness the inauguration of 45th annual state art exhibition, being organised by Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art Culture and Languages.

The exhibition was inaugurated by Minister for Finance, Abdul Rahim Rather.

An otherwise decaying Tagore Hall was today decked with splendid art works of highest standard.

A wide range of art works by eminent artists like MA Mahboob, Rohit Verma, Gurpreet Kaur et al, and budding student artists like Hilal Ahmad Khan Varun Kumar, Verma Kanchan, and others have been put on display.

The art works being showcased in the exhibition include paintings, wood and stone sculptures. The artists have worked on different themes and tried to portray it onto canvas in best possible manner.

Every artist has an inimitable, characteristic style, and their works reflected the same. AIFACS award winner and an eminent artist of the state, Rohit Verma’s oil on canvas painting to depict ‘mystic realm’ was exquisite. Veteran artist, MA Mahboob’s, who is also referred to as J&K’s MF Hussain, ‘portrait of tragedy’ was real treat for eyes.

Gurpreet Kaur’s wood sculpture ‘sharing the shelter’ portrays the present situation of J&K. She has used combination of wood and bronze in her work.

“Despite trials and tribulations, people of J&K are always ready to help each other,” she said. “I have used wood and bronze which represent softness and hardness. It means we are hard enough to face any hardship and soft enough to share each other’s sufferings.”

The work if Hilal Ahmad Khan, student of Fine Arts College Srinagar, who hails from Pattan, stairs straight into the face. His work ‘Build the Love’ using poster colour on paper stresses the need to shun animosity and bridge the divide.

“My theme was ‘build the love’. When I was preparing the surface prior to painting, the India and Pakistan’s animosity came to my mind and I decided to work on that,” he said. “I have tried to communicate, via this painting, how we can help in building a better world by bridging the divide that we have created.”

Speaking at a function after inaugurating the three-day art exhibition, Abdul Rahim Rather said that if he retires from politics he would love to contribute to the world of literature.

“Not long ago, I decided to take retirement from politics, but the people I represent and my leaders did not allow me to retire then,” he said. “Though I don’t claim to be a scholar, but I always wanted to contribute to the field of state’s literature in whatever capacity I could.”

Rather said the government would extend all possible help to the academy and would protect its constitutional safeguards.

Rather also urged the academy to organize Abdul Ahad Azad memorial day.
He said that the academy should continue to hone the talent of budding artists so that they highlight the beauty of J&K in their art work to popularise the state as a seat of artistic excellence besides promoting tourism through this medium.

Earlier, Rather also distributed awards among the award winning artists.

The awardees included Rohit Verma and Gurpreet Kour under senior category; Hilal Ahmed Khan and Varun Kuman under student category. The Award carries Rs 51000, a citation, a memento, and a shawl.

Certificate of Merit under senior artists and student category were awarded to Aslam Naqshbandi, Amit Singh Salathia, Gayoor Hussain, Kanchan Verma, Surjeet Singh Kukal, Anish Tikoo, Narinder Kumar and Renu.

Earlier, in his welcome address, Secretary Cultural Academy Zaffar Iqbal Manhas said that the academy would be organizing folk festival in Kashmir before the annual Darbar move.

Manhas also presented a resume of the activities organized by the Academy to promote various languages, literature and culture.

Manhas said that the academy has decided to adopt the children of those who were associated with Kashmir’s folklores Dhambali and Bhand pather in order to keep this traditional form of folk dance alive.

“These folklores have wider acceptance all over India,” he said.

He sought an active support of the government and urged the Finance Minister to help out the academy in its endeavour to promote art, and culture.

Deputy Commisioner Srinagar, Additional Secretary, Cultural Academy Shamim Akhter, and Principal, Institute of Music and Fine Arts, Shaiqa Mohi were also present on the occasion.

Unani Medical College coming up in Kashmir

SYED ALI SAFVI

SRINAGAR, Sep 30: Stating that central government will extend all possible help to improve the health infrastructure in Jammu and Kashmir, Union Minister of health and family welfare, Ghulam Nabi Azad, today announced to set up state-of-art Unani Medical College in Kashmir valley soon to promote traditional system of medicine in the state.

Azad was speaking at a function after inaugurating four-day first of its kind AROGYA mela, a comprehensive health fair on Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani Siddha and Homeopathy at Kashmir Haat exhibition ground here. The mela is aimed at promoting traditional Indian medicine system, including Ayurveda, Unani and Homeopathy in the state.

Earlier, the union health minister and chief minister, Omar Abdullah, who left early to attend district development board meetings at SKICC, inspected the stalls of ISM, AYUSH, FICCI, Handicrafts and Information Department.

Azad said that he would be visiting Jammu region soon and hinted at setting up an Ayurvedic College in Jammu also.

Presently, J&K has three privately owned unani medical colleges, and none is owned by the public sector. The state has one Ayurvedic Hospital at Jammu, one Unani Hospital at Srinagar and 439 ISM dispensaries spread across the state.

“I am told that unani medicine is mostly used in Kashmir valley, while Jammuites use Ayurvedic medicine,” he said. “The health ministry has, therefore, decided to establish a unani medical college in Kashmir and Ayurvedic medical college in Jammu.”

Maintaining that unani system of medicine has wide acceptability in the valley, Azad said that his ministry would be glad to finance nursing institutes in the Ayush system.

Azad also announced the launch of national campaign on unani medicines for skin disorders “as the unani system has proven effective treatment for a range of skin disorders”.

“Our aim is to take this system of medicine to the masses,” he said. “In India, 60 per cent of population relies on unani medical system, and only 40 per cent use Allopathic medicine.”

He said that for the first time a national mission on medicinal plants has been approved at an outlay of Rs 630 crore for the 11th plan period.

Utilisation of herbal drugs has been in vogue in Kashmir since early times. The medicinal plants found in Kashmir include Tethwan, Kuth, Bunafsha, Virkum, Pyrethrum, Jogi Badshah, Hund, etc.

“The mission will address the entire gamut of issues facing the raw material sector of Ayush starting with the cultivation over 80000 hectares to setting up seed centres, nurseries, medicinal plants processing facilities, post harvest management, testing for quality, goods collection and agriculture practices to provide marketing support,” he said.

Azad advised the people especially of Kandi belts to opt for cultivation of medicinal plants.

The central government has increased the budget of department of Ayush over the years and in the 11th Five Year plan, it is fixed at Rs 4000 crore.

“We have a fairly large infrastructure under department of Ayush. There are about seven lakh registered practitioners, 3000 hospitals, 21000 dispensaries and over 450 UG/PG teaching colleges with an admission capacity of nearly 30000 students,” Azad said.

He said that in order to take the benefits arising out of these to the people at their doorsteps, steps have been taken to mainstream Ayush in the health care delivery set up of the country under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM). The road map includes posting an Ayush doctor in every PHC/CHC, he said.

“Government of India (GoI) has recently sanctioned a modified scheme for mainstream Ayush under NRHM at a cost of Rs 650 crore. Over 7000 doctors have been appointed on contract and Ayush facilities have been created in 203 district hospitals, 1798 PHCs and 2350 CHCs,” he said.

Azad said that under mainstreaming of Ayush under NRHM in Jammu and Kashmir an allocation of Rs 12.55 crore have been approved during 2009-10.

So far, Ayush facilities have been placed in 319 PHCs, he said, adding that during the current year it will be taken up in 56 PHCs, 85 CHCs and 14 DHs.

Earlier, students of Morarji Desai National Institute New Delhi put on an incredible yoga demonstration that left the audience spellbound.

Deputy Chief Minister, Tara Chand, Minister for Health, Sham Lal Sharma, Minister for Medical Education, RS Chib, who were the guests of honour, also spoke on the occasion.

Earlier, Azad, along with chief minister, Omar Abdullah, who left early to attend district board meetings, inspected the stalls.

Apart from free diagnostic service, consultation and distribution of medicines, the fair will also have live demonstration of yoga lectures on the treatment of disease.

Deputy Secretary General of Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) Rajan Kohli said that the event is aimed at generating awareness on the alternative methods of treatment.

“FICCI is collaborating with department of Ayush to take the traditional system of medicine to the masses so that they can benefit from it,” he said.

The event provides an opportunity to manufactures of Ayurvedic and Homoeopathic medicines to showcase their products. Over 25 stalls have been set up by department of Ayush, Central Council for Research in Unani Medicine, Central Council for Research for Ayurveda and Siddha, Home Remedies, and Natioanl Institute of Unani Medicine.

Visitors can also avail free diagnostic and treatment facilities at the Ayurvedic, Unani and Homeopathy clinics that have been put up at the venue.

The exhibition has jointly been organized by the Department of AYUSH, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, FICCI and the Department of Indian System of Medicines, Jammu and Kashmir.