Will PDP-BJP Government renovate temples in Kashmir?
Srinagar, Jan 18: The PDP-BJP Government has admitted to have spent Rs 1.20 crore for repair or construction of 168 mosques across the state but surprisingly the coalition government didn’t reveal how much it has spent to renovate or repair all those temples in Kashmir which suffered damages during past 27 years of militancy.
According to details available, Jammu and Kashmir government on Wednesday disclosed that it is providing financial assistance for repair and construction of the mosques.
The information was revealed in resins to a cut motion that Congress lawmaker Mohammad Amin Bhat asked during the discussion on the Revenue Ministry allocations.
Government disclosed that in last two years, it has provided a sum of Rs 1.20 crore for repair or construction of 168 mosques across the state, mostly in Kashmir.
Kashmir region is the most benefited. In 2015-16, financial assistance was provided to 52 mosques and it cost the state exchequer Rs 28.40 lakh. In 2016-17, an amount of Rs 22.70 lakh was booked as help to 40 mosques.
Jammu also had some help. In 2015-16, it was Rs 16.55 lakh that was sanctioned and granted in favour of 39 mosques. In the last financial year, a sum of Rs 52.30 lakh was granted in 37 cases, the details revealed.
The State Revenue Ministry said no Imam, Khateeb or a Molvi is being paid from the state’s Consolidated Fund. However, in Jammu region, the Auqaf is paying a sum of Rs 1.07 crore to various such functionaries from its own sources. In Kashmir, the Auqaf is also making payments to the Imams and other religious functionaries from its own sources.
However, surprisingly the government didn’t make any statement regarding the temples in Kashmir that have suffered damages during past two decades of militancy.
The NC-Congress government in 2012 revealed that out of the 438 temples in the Valley, 208 had been damaged over the years.
Fifty seven temples were damaged in Srinagar, followed by South Kashmir’s Anantnag district where 56 temples suffered damage when hundreds of Pandits left behind religious places and houses when militancy erupted in 1989 in Jammu and Kashmir and migrated to Jammu and other parts of the country.
Since then the government even the legislators, who contribute out of their CDF fund for graveyards, haven’t spent a single penny to repair or renovate temples which are in depilated condition.
Now it would be interesting to see would BJP legislators raise the issue in Assembly.
