N. N. Vohra, Governor, inspected the ongoing work for the restoration of Bhimgarh Fort at Reasi yesterday.Reviewing the status of the restoration work of Bhimgarh Fort, the Governor asked Mr. Soujanya Sharma, Director of the Tourism Department which is the executing agency of this project, to expedite the pace of work and complete all its components by end March 2014. He asked Dr. Mandeep K. Bhandari, Chief Executive Officer of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board; Dr. Shahid Iqbal Choudhary, Deputy Commissioner, Reasi; and Mr. Soujanya Sharma, Director Tourism, Jammu, to have a detailed review of the restoration work and prepare a detailed plan which shows the various components of the project which have already been completed and those which remain to be accomplished.
The Governor reiterated an earlier decision for constructing a walking track around the periphery of Bhimgarh Fort, laying out an attractive approach to the Fort and speedy completion of installing illumination of the internal area of the Fort, cafeteria, sit-out plaza, public conveniences, outer landscaping, fixing of grills along the staircase and other allied works within fixed timelines. The Governor also asked the Director Tourism to bring out an aesthetically designed brochure in English and Hindi on the Bhimgarh Fort to enable the tourists and visitors to get to know the history and importance of this Fort.
Mr. Soujanya Sharma, Director Tourism, Jammu, briefed the Governor about the work done under the fist phase of the restoration project of Bhimgarh Fort and the items which have been taken up under the second phase. He stated that the estimated cost for the restoration of Bhimgarh Fort is Rs. 5.67 crore. Of this, 40% each is being provided by the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board and the Tourism Department and the remaining 20% by the Archives, Archaeology and Museums Department. He stated that under the first phase, an amount of Rs. 2.47 crore has been spent for which the Shrine Board provided Rs. 98.80 lakh. Similarly, for the second phase of the project, involving Rs. 3.20 crore, the Shrine Board has provided first installment of Rs. 56 lakh, while the Tourism and Archives, Archaeology and Museums departments are still to release their shares. Prof. Sudhir K. Jain, Vice Chancellor, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University; Mr. Navin K. Choudhary, Principal Secretary to the Governor; Dr. Mandeep K. Bhandari, Chief Executive Officer, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board; and Dr, Shahid Iqbal Choudhary, Deputy Commissioner, Reasi, were present on the occasion.