PMC to facilitate technical, financial support for restoration of Shalimar, Nishat gardens

Jammu, Oct 9: J&K government has put in place a Project Monitoring Committee (PMC) to facilitate technical and financial support for the restoration of world-famed Mughal gardens Shalimar and Nishat in Srinagar.

The UT government had earlier entered into an agreement with the Messrs Jindal Steel Works (JSW) Foundation on July 28, 2021 in the presence of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha.

   

The MoU in this connection was signed by J&K Commissioner/Secretary, Floriculture, Gardens and Parks and Sangita Jindal, chairperson, JSW Foundation.

As per MoU, the Foundation is to assist the UT technically and financially under its CSR project in the restoration and preservation of these gardens, which attract tourists from across the world.

In terms of its Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the JSW Foundation, the government on Saturday gave a go ahead to the constitution of PMC for guiding and facilitating the processes, permissions, inter-departmental co-ordination and works for the protection, preservation, promotion and development of two Mughal gardens, said GAD Commissioner Manoj Kumar Dwivedi.

The committee will have Commissioner/Secretary to government Department of Floriculture, Parks & Gardens as its chairman. A representative of Department of Culture (not below the rank of Additional Secretary); AshwaniSaxena CEO Jindal Steel Works (JSW) Foundation; Sandeep Gokhale Project Management expert; Director Archives, Archaeology & Museums J&K and Prof Mohammad YousufGanai, HoD History University of Kashmir will be its members.

As per the terms of reference, the PMC will facilitate smooth and timely functioning of the project. It will elicit inter-departmental and intra-governmental co-ordination, approvals from the local and statutory bodies and help with all necessary support for approvals from the administration.

“The Committee will also review the initial assessment reports as well as conservation plans (Detailed Project Reports) to set priorities, timelines and sequence of tasks which will identify as well as establish a methodology for implementation,” Dwivedi said.

The Committee has also been tasked to oversee and monitor the works to be carried out on the project, according to the standards and methodologies established for it (project) and presented in reports.

As per the agreement the project will be taken up in two phases. The estimated cost of the conservation, restoration project of Nishat garden is Rs 7 Cr. A similar project is envisaged for the Shalimar garden also. Foundation has conducted a study on Shiv Khori shrine heritage site in Reasi district of Jammu region also, for a similar project to be undertaken there.

On July 28, the Lieutenant Governor had advised the concerned executive agencies to work in close coordination with all stakeholders and have an in-depth understanding of the historic facts and cultural significance while restoring the pristine glory of these heritage gardens.

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