*Action Plan on Mubarak Mandi yet to be acted upon
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Nov 30: Notwithstanding the oft repeated statements by the PDP-BJP Coalition Government about developing Jammu city as independent tourist destination, all the plans floated from time to time in this direction have remained only on papers with no major activity on ground. Moreover, the Action Plan on restoration of Mubarak Mandi Heritage Complex prepared on the directions of none else than the Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed is yet to be acted upon by the concerned authorities.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that while chairing Jammu District Development Board meeting on July 3, Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed announced that Mubarak Mandi and Raghunath Bazar will be developed to such an extent that Jammu city becomes an independent tourist destination.
He even asked for the preparation of the Detailed Project Reports for development of Raghunath Bazar up to Dewana Mandir as demanded by Minister of State for Culture, Priya Sethi. Thereafter, the Deputy Chief Minister, Dr Nirmal Singh while chairing review meeting of Jammu District Development Board on September 30 reiterated that Jammu city would become an independent tourist destination.
In the review meeting, the Deputy Chief Minister issued directions for framing of a committee comprising of all stakeholders under the chairmanship of Commissioner, Jammu Municipal Corporation to prepare a comprehensive Detailed Project Report. This step was initiated despite the fact that DPRs were already under preparation in the Department of Tourism and there was no justification behind getting exercise conducted afresh.
On the intervention of Jammu City MLA, Rajesh Gupta, it was also decided in the review meeting that Karan Market will be taken as the starting point of the project which shall extend up to Rajinder Bazar besides Gummat stairs would be restored and heritage gates will also be taken up. After detailed deliberations on the concept of developing Jammu city as independent tourist destination, the Deputy Chief Minister fixed one month deadline for submission of report by the committee headed by Municipal Commissioner.
However, this committee has failed to submit the report even after the lapse of two months, sources said, adding “what to talk of submitting report, the committee is still grouping in dark as to what is required to be done to make Jammu city as independent tourist destination and what would be the source of funding”. In this way, this committee has met the fate as that of numerous other committees on various vital subjects constituted by the present dispensation till date.
About development of Mubarak Mandi as part of Jammu city as independent tourist destination, sources said that the Action Plan, which was prepared by the Divisional Commissioner Jammu, Dr Pawan Kotwal on the directions of none else than the Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed has yet not been acted upon by the concerned authorities.
It is pertinent to mention here that in the Action Plan submitted to the Chief Minister in the month of August, the Divisional Commissioner has laid thrust on execution of conservation work only through Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and making a request to the Union Culture Ministry for establishment of dedicated unit of ASI in Jammu and Kashmir to gear up conservation of not only Mubarak Mandi Complex but also other historical sites of the State.
“More than three months have elapsed since the submission of Action Plan but even formal letter to the Union Government about establishing special unit of ASI in Jammu and Kashmir has not been issued by the Department of Culture headed by Dr Haseeb A Drabu and Priya Sethi”, sources said, adding “even suggestion regarding start of light and sound show has not been found favourable by the Department of Culture on the ground that it would not be feasible till complete restoration of front portion of the historic complex, which otherwise is a time-consuming exercise and no specific period can be fixed for the same”.
What to talk of other important points of the Action Plan, even vehicles parking menace continued to prevail in the historic complex and plan to convince the local people to shift their vehicles to an area opposite Dewan Badri Nath School is only on paper in the absence of any activity on the identified site, sources further said.
“It seems that Government wants to make Jammu city as independent tourist destination by making plans only on papers and without initiating any serious step on ground”, sources regretted.
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