Welcoming expediting Mubarak Mandi Restoration,
DSS Exhorts Lt Guv to indulge
Th. Gulchain Singh Charak Former Minister & President Dogra Sadar Sabha J&K addressing a Press Conference today the 16th of October, 2020 at Sabha Bhawan welcomed the request of prominent citizens to expedite the restoration work at Mubarak Mandi Palace Complex and said that the Complex, which has unique architecture and is one of the largest complexes of North India, occupies the pride of place as a priceless heritage of Jammu region. He said that with layers of history dating back to 1710 and being the seat of power of rulers of the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir, it has been the emotional and cultural hub of Jammu since centuries. However, in the decades following the ascendency of Kashmir centric popular Governments, it became subject to neglect and deterioration, and later measures to restore the complex to its previous glory have yet to fully fructify.
Referring to newspaper reports about a petition having been submitted to the Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor Sh Manoj Sinha regarding the need to restore the Shergarhi Complex Srinagar and to expedite the restoration of the Mubarak Mandi Complex Jammu, Sh Charak said that while the Shergarhi Complex, though important, is a different issue and needs to be dealt with separately, he was thankful for the concern shown for Mubarak Mandi by prominent citizens of Jammu, who are signatories to the petition and have pointed out that the expected pace in the restoration work of the complex is yet to be achieved.
He, however, emphasized the need to underline the issues involved and to ascertain the real reasons because of which the Mubarak Mandi Jammu Heritage Society, is not being able to make expected headway so that these are brought to the notice of the Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor who is the present Chairman of the Governing Body of the Society.
He pointed out that, besides being an outstanding architectural heritage which needs to be preserved, the Mubarak Mandi Complex also includes the Dogra Art Museum with paintings and other valuable artifacts worth hundreds of crores of rupees, which have been lying stacked for decades due to lack of proper arrangement for display and are deteriorating with each passing day. Similarly, the complex also houses the State Archives containing centuries-old priceless historic record and which again is being allowed to deteriorate due to lack of proper management and suitable sufficient space. It also includes the Royal Toshakhana, remaining artifacts from wherein, which survived a devastating fire, have presently been temporarily locked up in a room in the Civil Secretariat Jammu.
Sh Charak disclosed that the high powered Mubarak Mandi Jammu Heritage Society was created in 2006, in keeping with the aspirations of the people of Jammu, to facilitate smooth decision making for carrying out the restoration work and all related issues including subsequent reuse of the complex as a vibrant cultural tourism destination. In the intervening period, however, lack of cooperation and delays in providing sanctions by Governments resulted in slowing down the work. It was only during Governor’s rule in early 2019 that the Master Plan for Restoration and Reuse of the Complex was approved by the then Governor and an amount of Rs 65 crores allocated for the restoration work.
He said that the people of Jammu have immense faith in Sh. Manoj Sinha, the Hon’ble LG and the Chairman of the Governing Body, who has vast experience in public life and is connected with the grass root, and he needs to be appraised of the factual position as well as the difficulties being faced by the Society so that the restoration work is expedited. Some issues in this context, which have been hanging fire, include;
- a) The works to be taken up as per Master Plan approved by the then Governor, as mentioned above, for which the amount of Rs 65 crores has been allocated. Hurdles in early execution of all these works need to be ascertained and resolved. Especially the Dogra Arts Museum needs to be restored on priority.
- b) An amount of Rs 50 lakhs was sanctioned earlier for renovating the erstwhile Information Department building which stands vacated for shifting the delicate Archives records. However, inexplicably, a part of the record stands shifted to Kala Kendra, exposing it to damage during transportation and further decay in the absence of arrangements for its proper upkeep. This amounts to deliberately jeopardizing the centuries-old historic record of the Archives which cannot be allowed. Even otherwise, the Archives, Dogra Art Museum and the Toshakhana are the soul of the historic complex and, therefore, cannot be shifted elsewhere and immediate measures need to be taken on priority to shift the precious records to the Information Department Building after renovation.
- c) Restoration work on the ‘Army Headquarters’ building stands completed in 2011. The plan for adaptive reuse of the said building needs to be taken up on priority.
- d) Restoration of structures in the central courtyard including the Durbar-e-Aam, which was demolished earlier, needs to be expedited.
- e) The Constitution of the Society provides for nomination of prominent and knowledgeable citizens as members of the Governing Body. However, non-official members appear to have been omitted while reconstituting the Society which needs to be rectified.
Sh Charak made an appeal to the Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor to convene a meeting of the Governing Body of the Society to which members of the original Governing Body may also be invited along with the prominent citizens of Jammu who are signatories to the above-mentioned petition so that all relevant issues are discussed. Current difficulties faced by the Society in expeditious execution of works may also be taken up for consideration by the Governing Body and appropriate decisions taken for their early resolution.
