Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha today felicitated the medal winners of National and International Competitions for the years 2021-22 and 2022-23.

The Lt Governor congratulated all the athletes and coaches on their outstanding performances.

A total 368 sportspersons, from 17 disciplines, received special cash awards amounting to Rs 1.35 crore directly in their Bank accounts through DBT mode. Rs 12 lakh awarded to Aqsa Gulzar and Sohan Kamotra was awarded with Rs 8 lakh cash award, in Pencak Silat and Chess disciplines, respectively.

On the occasion, the Lt Governor inaugurated a State-of-the-Art Synthetic Football Turf costing Rs 4.83 Cr at Parade Ground, Jammu. He also laid the foundation stone of the Synthetic Hockey Field at Bandhurakh worth Rs 4.85 Cr.

“Under the leadership of Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji, we have built modern sports infrastructure, providing world-class training and mentoring to athletes and all other supports to ensure J&K’s sportspersons are able to achieve excellence in national and international sporting events,” the Lt Governor said.

The Lt Governor extended his felicitations to the Para teams and women athletes for their remarkable feat in major sporting events.

He said, the recent successes in Asian Para Games, National Games, National School Games of athletes and players from J&K have kindled brighter hope of an upswing in performances in many more international events.

The Lt Governor said that our Sports Icons are the true inspiration for the youth of Jammu Kashmir and the efforts of the government to take sports to villages, far-flung and border areas have bridged the decades-old gap between talents and the opportunities.

Adequate sports infrastructure, new sports policy, upgradation in the quality of coaches, youth engagement drives at Panchayat Level, LG rolling trophy and various other initiatives will create a robust sports culture involving all sections and secure attractive career track for athletes, he said.

A total of 702 sports projects have been completed in the last few years. Two athletic tracks, one each at Jammu University and Kashmir University; five synthetic hockey fields and two synthetic football fields have been constructed at Pulwama, Srinagar, Jammu, Poonch, Nagrota. Further, more athletic tracks, synthetic hockey and synthetic football fields are coming up at Jammu, Poonch, Sopore, Srinagar, Shopian, Baramulla, Ganderbal, Jagti Nagrota and Rajouri, the Lt Governor further added.

The Lt Governor commended the endeavours of Sports Department, Sports Council and associations for promoting sports activities in Jammu Kashmir.

He also highlighted the commitment of J&K Administration towards the welfare of the sportspersons bringing laurels to the country and the Union Territory. We are determined to complete the recruitment process of sportspersons at the earliest, he added.

The Lt Governor interacted with the sportspersons and handed over sports kits and equipments to the budding players.

Sh Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar, Advisor to Lt Governor; Sh Sarmad Hafeez, Secretary, Youth Services & Sports; Ms Nuzhat Gul, Secretary, J&K Sports Council; senior officials, eminent sports personalities and youth in large number were present.

#JAMMU: Commissioner Secretary, Tourism, Yasha Mudgal today flagged off a group of 25 adventure enthusiasts from Railway station here to undertake a 17-day Special Combined Paragliding Course at  NIMAS Training area in Seppa, Arunachal Pradesh, renowned for adventure sports education.

The course is scheduled from March 12 to March 28, 2024 and will encompass three levels – Basic, Intermediate, and Advance (P1, P2, & P3), catering to the diverse skill sets of the participants.

Speaking on the occasion, Yasha Mudgal highlighted on the  tremendous potential of Jammu as an adventure tourism hotspot. She  stressed on the importance of capitalizing this potential of Jammu and make it leading adventurous destination of the country.

She commended the Directorate of Tourism Jammu for these kind of initiatives, noting its pivotal role in leveraging the region’s natural beauty and diverse landscapes to attract adventure enthusiasts worldwide.

She expressed confidence in the participants ability to excel in their paragliding endeavours, solidifying Jammu’s reputation as a premier destination for adventure tourism.

Joint Director, Tourism Jammu on the occasion highlighted the significance of nurturing local talent, underscoring how this initiative will contribute to the overall development of Jammu region as a prime adventure tourism destination .

Pertinently, this  initiative aims to cultivate local talent, invigorate adventure tourism and elevate Jammu as a premier adventure tourism destination. This special combined paragliding course not only provides a platform for adventure enthusiasts to hone their skills but also aligns with the government’s vision to promote adventure tourism and position the region as a premier destination.

During their interaction with the media, participants expressed gratitude to the Tourism Department for the initiative and conveyed hopes for its transformative impact on adventure tourism, envisioning a future where Jammu becomes a global hub for thrill-seekers and adventurers alike.

Notably, Directorate of Tourism, Jammu, in collaboration with the Indian Kayaking & Canoeing Association (IKCA) and Jammu Adventure Sports Association (JASA), has conducted comprehensive water surveys across all districts of Jammu Division. These surveys have yielded valuable recommendations, pinpointing specific locations for activities like paragliding at Aitham, Dhanwa, Billo ki Paudi, Mokhri, and water-based activities in various locations. Additionally, 38 new trekking routes have been identified, further enhancing adventure tourism offerings in the region.

2-day festival will showcase rich musical heritage and folk art legacy of Jammu Kashmir Union Territory: LG

• 450 Artists from across the UT are participating in the Fest organised by All J&K Folk Artists’ Association, JKAACL, Sangeet Natak Akademi and North Zone Cultural Centre, Patiala

#JAMMU: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha inaugurated the two-day Cultural Festival ‘New J&K-New Hope’ at Abhinav Theatre Jammu, today.

The Lt Governor lauded the joint endeavour of All J&K Folk Artists’ Association, J&K Academy of Art, Culture & Languages, Sangeet Natak Akademi, New Delhi and North Zone Cultural Centre, Patiala to showcase the rich musical heritage and folk art legacy of Jammu Kashmir Union Territory.

Jammu Kashmir is the confluence of art, literature, wisdom and culture. This land is blessed with extremely talented people who have united the society and made tremendous contribution in national integration through their art, the Lt Governor observed.

We are proud of our artists like Padam Shri recipient Folk Artist Sh Romalo Ram who are promoting the folk art and cultural heritage of Jammu Kashmir, he said.

 The Lt Governor reiterated the commitment of the UT Administration to provide the platform and necessary handholding to the young and budding artists of the Union Territory.

He also congratulated the artists for their enthralling performances on the occasion.

A total of 450 artists from different parts of Jammu Kashmir are participating in the Cultural Festival.

Suresh Kumar Gupta, Principal Secretary, Culture Department;  Bharat Singh Manhas, Secretary JKAACL; Gulzar Bhat, Chairman All J&K Folk Artists’ Association, senior officials, renowned artists and youth in large number were present.

#JAMMU: Continuing its mission of providing convenient banking services to the people of remote areas, J&K Bank today operationalised an Easy Banking Unit (EBU) at Surinsar in Jammu. The EBU will provide the basic facilities of banking like cash deposit, cash withdrawal, account openings etc. to the people of the area.

The Bank’s General Manager & Divisional Head (Jammu) Sunit Kumar e-inaugurated the EBU Surinsar in the presence of Zonal Head (Jammu) Rajesh Dubey, Cluster Heads with elected public representatives of the area, prominent persons and local residents present in good numbers at the base Branch Tootan-Di-Khui.

Speaking on the occasion, the Divisional Head reiterated the Bank’s commitment citing its contribution in rendering world class banking facilities to the people irrespective of their location and status. He said, “We will continue to expand as well as deepen our footprint to serve the people belonging to different geographies by extending the latest banking facilities and financial services to their nearest possible destinations. The EBU at Surinsar will go a long way in helping the people of the area in meeting their daily banking needs.”

While seeking support from the public, the GM assured them that the outlet will make every effort to meet the expectations of the people of the area.

People present at the base branch Tootan-di-Khui expressed their gratitude to the Bank management for opening an EBU in their area. “The EBU will definitely enhance the bonding of the people with the J&K bank”, they said.

Pertinently, it was a long outstanding demand of the people of the area which is being developed as an upcoming destination spot and is a major attraction for the tourists because of the shimmering Surinsar Lake.