Abhinav Theatre Still Crying For Attention

Abhinav Theatre Still Crying For Attention

Only 50 percent renovation work completed

Yash Khajuria
JAMMU, Oct 01: Jammuites have been keenly waiting for the completion of the Abhinav Theatre, which is city’s only auditorium with all the facilities for stage performances. Renovation of the theatre is going on for the past few months.

As per the reliable sources despite of long lapse of time only fifty percent of renovation work has been complete till date due to tortoise pace and the remaining fifty percent might take more than six months.

Theatre lovers of the city have been missing the charm of watching the plays in the Abhinav as most of the plays are being performed at other auditoriums, which are not meant for staging theatrical shows.

This theatre is the only government theatre in the Jammu province situated at Canal road Jammu under the J&K Academy of Art, Cultural and Languages Jammu (J&KAACLJ), and is presently headed by its additional secretary Savita Bakshi.

But the said theatre has become non functional due to renovation work which was started with the deadline of ending October and the renovation work was granted to Public Works Department (PWD) but after the lapse of almost six months the work has not been completed.

Sources also informed that the slow pace of work is due to non receipt of funds from the state government for the renovation of this theatre to the PWD who is the wholly-solly incharge of the renovation project undergoing there.

“Abhinav Theater is the only platform for artists in the province and delay in its renovation is clearly an injustice and hanging sword on the career of both senior and budding artists as there is no other stage in the province for displaying and performing arts with all required facilities that’s too on affordable charges” said Sonali Bhagat, an theater artist.

Another artist Ritika Gandotra says “undoubtedly the renovation of the Abhinav theatre was the caring need of the hour as its condition had became miserable due to attrition but now the delaying tactics has deprived the artists to a platform for their presentations.

When contacted Savita Bakshi, additional secretary AACLJ, has said that the PWD is carrying out the renovation work of the theatre and they have no role to play in this project as the department has direct tie up with the state government.

“I hopes that the deadline of the ending October might be met but not sure as still fifty percent of the renovation has been done so it is quite challenging to complete rest fifty percent in remaining one month but work in double shift might help in meeting with the deadline” she added.

She informed that she has constituted a six member committee right from the beginning of the renovation for the technical check up besides quality of the work.

Ashok Gupta, Manager Abhinav theatre disclosed that they are regularly taking the percentage of work done from the different wings engaged in the renovation in black and white which included sound, lights, white wash etc to keep the record of pending work and admitted that overall fifty to fifty five percent of the renovation work has been completed till date.

He further expressed that there is a possibility of completion of work upto the deadline but everything is depend on the concerned PWD department who is carrying out the renovation work of the theatre.