Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 24: Intensifying the efforts to get the Kashmiri Hindu Temples and Shrines Bill to be passed at the earliest, a delegation of P N Bhat Memorial Trust headed by its Chairman, Dr A N Pandita met Minister of Housing, Horticulture and Culture, Raman Bhalla here.
The delegation including Professors O N Koul, A N Sadhu, Dr R L Bhat, Dr B L Hando, Pradeep Koul Khodbali, Virinder Raina, M K Raina and Ashok Braaru, conveyed to him that the temples and shrines of the Hindus in Kashmir were lying in very bad condition and were under grave threat of being decimated and encroached upon. The delegation demanded early passage of the Bill on behalf of community which has an apprehension that the Government had chosen to put the Shrines Bill on hold by sending it to the Select Committee.
Mr Bhalla assured the delegation that the he would see to it that the Bill becomes an Act at the earliest. He also assured the delegation that Congress would not allow the Bill to be sidelined. He gave total assurance to the delegation that Bill will be passed in the coming session at any cost for which the delegation paid its gratitude to him.
Earlier another delegation of the P N Bhat Trust had met MLA and NPP leader Harsh Dev Singh here to solicit his support for the early clearance of the Bill from the Select Committee. The delegation informed him about the dire situation in which the temples in Kashmir were lying and apprised him about the attempts of land mafia and others to encroach upon the lands of the Hindu Shrines.
He assured the Trust delegation that he would see that the Bill was cleared out of the select committee and enacted in the coming session.
Delegation of the Trust led by Brij Lal Bhat, also met ministers and other leaders in Srinagar and tried to persuade them to ensure early passage of the Temples and Shrines Bill.
Follow our WhatsApp channel