DOGRA HERALD BUREAU
jammu, jULY 18
Dogra Sadar Sabha has welcomed the steps taken by the Government in speeding up the conservation work of the historic Mubarak Mandi Heritage Complex by shifting its funding from the Languishing Projects Scheme to the Capex Budget and placing a dedicated Engineering Wing of the R&B Department at the disposal of the Mubarak Mandi Jammu Heritage Society.
In this regard, the core committee of Dogra Sadar Sabha, led by Th. Gulchain Singh Charak, President of the Sabha and former Cabinet Minister, today conducted a visit to the Mubarak Mandi Heritage Complex to review the ongoing restoration and conservation works.
The former Minister expressed his thanks to Sh. Manoj Sinha ji, Hon’ble Lt Governor of J&K, for allocating Rs. 140 crore for the restoration and conservation of five projects in the first instance with a three-year completion timeline. He also welcomed the government’s decision to release Rs. 40 crore for the current year, acknowledging the long-standing efforts of the Dogra Sadar Sabha in advocating for this restoration initiative.
During the visit, the Core Committee members held a meeting with the officials of the Mubarak Mandi Jammu Heritage Society and took stock of the situation regarding the conservation and restoration works in the heritage complex. They expressed deep concern over the deteriorating condition of the roof of the building where the Archives have been stored, which has been suffering from leaks due to recent rains, posing a significant threat to the invaluable records stored there.
The officials of the Mubarak Mandi Jammu Heritage Society clarified that the government has not yet released any funds out of the Rs. 40 crore announced by the Lt Governor, which is severely affecting the ongoing restoration works. They also mentioned that some of the executing agencies have left the restoration work midway in the heritage complex.
The Sabha President, however, pointed out that funding for the Conservation and Adaptive Reuse of the Mahal of Raja Ram Singh’s Queens, which was sanctioned under the Languishing Projects Scheme in 2019 along with these five projects, should also be shifted to the Capex Budget so that the work on this precious heritage building is also resumed in right earnest along with the others.
He further demanded that work on all the remaining heritage buildings and structures in the complex, which included iconic buildings like the Rani Charak Mahal, Rani Bandral Mahal, Sheesh Mahal, Gole Ghar, and others, be taken up at the earliest. He disclosed that these buildings have the highest historic and architectural significance, and their conservation needs to be taken up simultaneously to make up for the time already lost due to inordinate delays. He stressed the need to fix a timeline for completion of the works on the conservation and reuse proposals for the entire complex, as envisaged in the approved Master Plan, so that the people of the UT can avail of its social, cultural, and economic benefits, for which the Dogra Sadar Sabha has been struggling for the last several years.
Sh. Charak emphasized that, besides being a protected monument of national importance having outstanding universal heritage value, Mubarak Mandi is also a symbol of identity for the people of J&K, and therefore, its conservation is required to be carried out strictly as per national and international norms and guidelines. He cautioned against any deviation from the approved conservation plan prepared as per international guidelines and already approved by the Mubarak Mandi Jammu Heritage Society in 2019, to retain its authenticity and integrity, otherwise, it will deal a severe blow to the efforts to develop Jammu as a Heritage Tourism destination.
He further said that the work should be executed under the supervision of a senior Heritage/Conservation Consultant, with third-party monitoring by the Archaeological Survey of India, to ensure that the conservation norms are adhered to and no aspect of the precious heritage is lost during the restoration work.
Sh. Charak also suggested that knowledgeable citizens of Jammu with experience dealing with matters related to Heritage Conservation and Cultural Tourism be included as members of the Governing Body of the Mubarak Mandi Jammu Heritage Society, as mandated in the Constitution of the Society, to ensure informed public participation and to dispel ambiguity in providing direction and guidance in the implementation of the conservation work. He emphasized that this was essential for ensuring transparency in the day-to-day implementation of the conservation work to ensure that the sentiments of the people are respected to avoid deviation from the conservation norms.
Later, the core committee members held a meeting with Director Archives, Archaeology & Museums, Jammu Sh. Raj Kumar Katoch, and Assistant Director Archives, Archaeology and Museums, Jammu Sangeeta Sharma, and expressed resentment against the ongoing works which need to be expedited.
The Core Group members urged the Government to release funds as allocated by the Lt Governor and take adequate steps in stopping leakage and the ongoing restoration and conservation works in the heritage complex. They also sought that the restoration and conservation works should continue simultaneously on all the projects in the Mubarak Mandi heritage complex with an aim to save them from the ongoing rainy season.
The Sabha President also offered that the Dogra Sadar Sabha remains always available to provide any help and assistance on matters related to the restoration of the Mubarak Mandi Complex to its original glory, as the Government may deem appropriate to avail.
Prominent among others who visited the complex are Col. Karan Singh (R), Maj.Gen. Sunita Kapoor (VSM) (R), Abdul Majid, Gambhir Dev Singh Charak, Brig. M.S. Jamwal (R), Chhattar Singh, Ravi Singh, Jagdeep Singh, Khajur Singh, Chhankar Singh, Pawan Sharma, Rajinder Gupta, Namandeep Singh, Sat Pal Thapa, Sub. Kehar Singh, Rajeev, and Dr. Vidya Sagar Sharma (Secretary).
