Onlykashmir.in News Desk
Deputy Commissioner Srinagar, Akshay Labroo, on Wednesday reviewed preparations for the third edition of the Chinar Book Festival, directing all concerned departments to ensure coordinated arrangements for the nine-day literary event scheduled from July 18 to 26 at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre.
Chairing a meeting at the Deputy Commissioner’s Office, Labroo assessed readiness for the festival, which is being organised by the National Book Trust and the National Council for Promotion of Urdu Language in collaboration with the district administration. He said the event is designed to offer an engaging platform for readers, authors, publishers, artists and students travelling from across the country, and reiterated that the festival’s larger purpose is to nurture a vibrant reading culture in the Union Territory.
The Deputy Commissioner placed particular emphasis on timely coordination among line departments, especially on participant mobilisation, transportation and sanitation arrangements, to ensure the event runs smoothly across its extended nine-day span. He noted that festivals of this scale carry significant potential to draw young people toward reading, writing and cultural engagement, while simultaneously projecting Jammu and Kashmir’s rich literary heritage to a national audience.
Briefing the meeting, officials outlined this year’s programme, which will include book launches, author interactions, panel discussions, poetry recitations and storytelling sessions. Organisers have also planned exhibitions of local literary talent, dedicated children’s activities, cultural performances and skill-building workshops aimed at encouraging reading and writing habits among the youth of the Valley.
The meeting drew wide participation from the district administration and allied departments, including Additional Deputy Commissioner Aadil Fareed, Additional Secretary of the Culture Academy Adeel Saleem, Joint Commissioner of the Srinagar Municipal Corporation Nuzhat Khurshid, SP Headquarters Umar Shah, Additional CEO of SCCL Suhail-ul-Islam, Chief Planning Officer Fayaz Ahmad Dar, Programme Officer ICDS Bureeda Majid, along with officers from the Higher Education and School Education departments, polytechnic and ITI principals, medical superintendents and executive engineers.
Chief Convenor of the Chinar Book Festival, Amit Wanchoo, and National Book Trust Coordinator Shobha Kapoor also attended the review, underscoring the scale of institutional backing behind what has become one of Srinagar’s marquee cultural events.
