Last Updated on October 8, 2021 at 10:32 am
No progress has been made for the establishment of Sub-Regional Science Centre in Jammu despite of approval given by the Union Culture ministry.
In the month of August 2015, the Union Ministry of Culture approved the Sub-Regional Science Centre for Srinagar at a cost of Rs 20 crore and informed Jammu and Kashmir government that National Council for Science Museums (NCSM) would provide with all the technical help for establishment of centre soon after the suitable land is identified.
Similarly, centre would also be considered for Jammu after the first one comes up in order to popularize science and technology for the benefits of the students.
As per reports, the land for Sub-Regional Science Centre was identified at Lal Mandi in Srinagar and presently the land development and fencing work is going on. But, talking about the similar centre in Jammu there is further progress so far.
Two sites for Sub-Regional Science Centre were identified in Bhagwati Nagar area and the team of National Council for Science Museums inspected the same back in year 2019 but these sites were not found suitable.
J&K government in March this year approached the National Council for Science Museums to inspect more sites identified in Miran Sahib and Bari Brahamana areas. The tentative date for visit was conveyed by the NSCM but later the visit was postponed for unknown reasons.
One land parcel has been identified at Birpur in Samba district and revenue papers are under preparation and the department is also in the process of identifying a parcel of Jammu Development Authority land in Nagrota area so that during the visit of NSCM team this site is also inspected, reportedly. It would be only after completion of procedural formalities that the Science and Technology Department would formally approach the Union Culture Ministry and then National Council for Science Museums for site inspection.
An officer of the Science and Technology department said that only after the approval of the site either at Birpur or in Nagrota that indent would be placed for transfer of land to the department. He further added that as per the revised guidelines of the Union Culture Ministry some formalities are required to be completed before inviting NSCM for site selection and they are in the process of doing so.
