Srinagar, Aug 20: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday said a ₹31-crore modern abattoir project in Srinagar had been revived and would introduce systematic testing and certification of meat sold in the city.
Omar said the project, originally conceived in 2011-12, had remained stalled for several reasons before being revived by Srinagar Municipal Corporation Commissioner Fazl-ul-Haseeb and other officials.
“Almost ₹31 crore will be spent on it,” Omar said, adding that the facility would test sheep brought for slaughter to ensure they were free of disease.
The meat leaving the facility would also be halal-certified, he said.
“Although the project is to be completed in two years, Haseeb has assured me that they will complete it within a year and a half,” Omar said.
The Chief Minister said the project was particularly important given complaints about the quality of meat sold in Srinagar over the past two years.
“There were major complaints regarding meat, and in many places poor-quality meat was also found being sold to people,” he said.
He recalled that consumers had earlier been able to identify inspected meat through an official stamp.
“There was a time when meat sold in Srinagar and surrounding areas carried a stamp. You knew that the meat was genuine and safe,” Omar said.
“We want to restart it, so that wherever meat is sold in Srinagar, it carries an official stamp and people know that it is of good quality and that eating it will not harm their health,” he added.
Film festival not about bringing Bollywood stars
On the upcoming film festival in Jammu and Kashmir, Omar played down expectations of participation by Hollywood stars and said the event was primarily intended to expose local audiences and aspiring filmmakers to different forms of cinema.
“Don’t expect Hollywood. I wish we had reached a stage where people from Hollywood came, but that will take time,” he said, adding that the participation of some Bollywood personalities would be welcome.
However, Omar stressed that attracting Bollywood celebrities was not the festival’s objective.
“The purpose is not to bring Bollywood people here. Our effort is to give people here exposure to different kinds of films,” he said.
“It is not my purpose, nor is it the purpose of this film festival, that we should remain under the misconception that if Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan or Salman Khan comes here, then our film festival will become successful,” he added.
The festival would instead focus on screening films that local audiences would not normally get to watch, besides conducting workshops in editing, directing, cinematography and music.
Omar said the aim was also to develop local technical expertise so that filmmakers shooting in Kashmir would not have to depend entirely on technicians from outside.
“Our people should be able to do that work, and employment will also increase here as a result. That is the effort,” he said.
Omar declines comment on US-Pakistan diplomatic row
Asked about the meeting between him and US Ambassador Sergio Gor and the subsequent summoning of Pakistan’s diplomatic representative, Omar said the matter concerned Washington and Islamabad.
“They were not summoned; the Chargé d’Affaires was. This is a matter between Pakistan and America. Neither you nor I can do anything about it,” he said.
On Congress saying that Jammu and Kashmir is an important part of India and questioning why such a statement should come from the US, Omar declined to engage in a political exchange.
“I am not getting into this now. Congress has a point of view. They are a political party; they are the largest Opposition party; they are entitled to their point of view,” he said.
“I am not going to get into a war of words over this. What can I say about it?” he added.
AIIMS work progressing, law university file nearly ready
On the proposed AIIMS facility, Omar said construction was progressing rapidly and that one block was expected to become operational this year.
“We have been assured that when I had earlier gone there to review the construction, one block would become operational this year, where OPD and some other treatments would begin,” he said.
“We hope they will stick to that commitment,” he added.
On the proposed law university, Omar said discussions were still underway over its location but indicated that the government was close to completing the necessary paperwork.
“Discussions are underway about where the law university will be established, but I think the file is almost ready,” he said. “We will have to give further approval, but it will happen.”
Omar also said one or two private universities could soon begin setting up operations in Jammu and Kashmir.
“I have heard that one or two private universities are ready to come here,” he said, adding that the government could soon announce their arrival and witness the laying of their foundation stones.
He said the private universities had been waiting for the government to complete the regulatory process.
“The Act was passed during the Budget Session. After that, we were preparing the rules. The rules have been completed and released. Now private universities will start coming in,” Omar said.
