Urges Dedicated Funding for DD Kashir, Financial Assistance for Artists
Srinagar, Oct 19th :
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to intervene for strengthening the region’s cultural ecosystem, seeking dedicated funding for local content production and targeted financial assistance for artists and creative professionals.
In a letter dated October 7, 2026, Mufti underscored the need for earmarked funds for Doordarshan and Akashvani centres across Jammu and Kashmir, with particular emphasis on DD Kashir, to facilitate sustained production of quality programmes highlighting local languages, music, folk traditions, literature, theatre and cinema.
She maintained that artists, musicians, writers, theatre practitioners and filmmakers serve as custodians of Jammu and Kashmir’s cultural heritage and play a pivotal role in preserving its civilisational identity, promoting national integration and strengthening cultural ties with the rest of the country.
Mufti also called for targeted schemes and financial assistance through the Union Ministry of Culture and affiliated central institutions to ensure sustained opportunities for the region’s creative fraternity and help artists secure dignified livelihoods.
Emphasising the broader significance of cultural preservation, she said strengthening cultural infrastructure and protecting the economic interests of artists were essential for promoting social cohesion, national harmony and safeguarding India’s pluralistic heritage.
Copies of the letter have also been forwarded to the Union Ministers for Information and Broadcasting and Culture for necessary intervention.