JKAACL reeling under shortage of manpower
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Feb 21: In a testimony of dilly-dallying approach on the important issues, the Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages has failed to establish seven Regional Cultural Centres which were announced by the Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti nearly one and half years back.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that while chairing Central Committee meeting of J&K Academy of Art, Culture and Languages (JKAACL) on October 3, 2016, the Chief Minister had approved establishment of seven Regional Cultural Centres in order to give necessary impetus to the activities of the Academy.
These Cultural Centres were named as Ladakh Regional Cultural Centre, Kamraz Regional Cultural Centre, Maraz Regional Cultural Centre, Chenab Valley Regional Cultural Centre, Pir Panchal Regional Cultural Centre, Duggar Regional Cultural Centre and Basohli Regional Cultural Centre.
The objective behind announcement was to provide effective platform for promotion of local languages and ethnicity, sources said while disclosing that to decide the contours of these Regional Cultural Centres the Chief Minister being President of the J&K Academy of Art, Culture and Languages even ordered setting up of an apex committee headed by the then Minister for Cultural Dr Haseeb Drabu.
The apex committee was directed to standardize the design and concept of such centres by consulting Oscar-award winning composers-A R Rehman and Resul Pookutty.
However, despite lapse of nearly one and half year no headway has been made on the establishment of seven Regional Cultural Centres, sources said while disclosing that even modalities in this regard have not been worked out by the JKAACL so far.
“What to talk of carrying out exercise as directed by the President of the Academy, the apex committee even could not convene any meeting till date”, sources said, adding “before the committee could meet on the date notified by the Secretary of the Cultural Academy, Dr Haseeb Drabu was divested of the portfolio of Culture Department during a minor reshuffle in the Council of Ministers”.
Though the Chief Minister still wanted Dr Haseeb Drabu to continue as head of the apex committee, which was assigned the task of establishing Regional Cultural Centres, yet the latter had some reservations and he preferred to stay away from the entire process particularly when he was not looking after the affairs of the Culture Department, sources informed.
Despite this, no serious effort was made by the Government to appoint new head of the apex committee as a result of which seven Regional Cultural Centres have remained on the papers till date.
When contacted, Secretary, J&K Academy of Art, Culture and Languages Dr Aziz Hajini confirmed that no headway could be made on establishment of seven Regional Cultural Centres. “The Academy is presently in the process of having re-structuring of the apex committee so as to make it broad based for working out modalities for these Cultural Centres”, he added.
In reply to a question, Dr Hajini said, “the apex committee will be restructured during the next meeting of the Central Committee of the JKAACL, which is likely to meet in the month of March”. He, however, admitted that these Regional Cultural Centres to be headed by Additional Secretary rank officer would go a long way in promotion of local languages and ethnicity.
According to the sources, JKAACL is also reeling under shortage of manpower during the past quite long time. “As on date the Academy has 60 vacant posts under Direct Recruitment Quota for which selection process has not been initiated so far”, they added.
This is notwithstanding the fact that Academy being an autonomous body is a self-recruiting agency which makes appointments at its own level on the basis of the recommendations of its own selection committee.
“The Government had raised certain queries when a proposal for filling vacancies was submitted”, Dr Hajini said, adding “we have answered the queries and hopefully formal approval will be conveyed by the Government shortly for filling the vacancies”.
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