185 Hindu religious places dilapidated

DEEPAK KHAJURIA

JAMMU: State Government today said that from total 542 religious places of Kashmiri Pandits, 185 are in dilapidated condition in 10 districts of Kashmir Valley.
Replying to the question of BJP MLA Rajesh Gupta regarding the details of temples and other religious places of Kashmiri Pandit Migrants in the valley and what are their present status, Minister Incharge Relief, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction, Basharat Bukhari in a written reply informed that total 185 religious places of Kashmir Pandit migrants out of total 542 are in dilapidated condition.
According to the figure of government, Anantnag in the South Kashmir is top with 129 such religious places including the India's historical Martand (the temple of Surya) at Mattan and 40 of these temples are not in good condition at present. Meanwhile, Pulwama, again in South Kashmir seconds with 94 religious places and 21 among them are in dilapidated condition.
Whereas, in North Kashmir's bordering Kupwara district, out of total 52, over 50 percent that is 28 are in bad condition. In the summer capital Srinagar, the situation is little better and among 90 temples, only 19 are not in good structural condition. In Baramullah, there are 58 religious places of KPs and 26 are in dilapidated condition and in Budgam's 23, 14 are not in good condition. In Ganderbal district, there are 36 temples and 5 required structural renovation.
Again in South Kashmir's Shopian district, from 22 religious places, 14 are not in good condition and Kulgam there are 30 temples, 17 are in decrepit condition. Similarly, in Budgam's 23 temples, 14 are in dilapidated conditions.
It is worth mentioning that the Kashmiri Hindu Shrines and Religious Places Bill was introduced in Budget Session of 2014 during NC-Congress government. Various Kashmiri Pandits organisations then demanded from the State Government to pass the pending Kashmiri Hindu Shrines and Religious Places Bill without any dilution, but it was not passed.
If the state government kept any temple out of the Bill`s purview, no management committee would let their temples to be taken over by the proposed board, they said and threatened to launch nationwide agitation and sit on an indefinite fast to expose the then Omar Abdullah's government`s "double-standards".
Later, when BJP-PDP formed government here once again KPs demanded to introduce the bill, but it is yet to come.
Meanwhile, the BJP legislator also asked about the number of registered migrant families living in Jammu and outside the state and why there is abnormal increase in these families, Government replied that at present total 41462 families of migrants belongs to different communities are staying in Jammu are registered, whereas the number was 37398 in year 2008 and 34216 in 2002, which was 29074 in 1997.
"The main reason for increase in the number of families is on account of bifurcation and increase in family strength. However, there are certain cases which have not been registered due to non-receipt of verification from concerned agencies," said state government.