Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, Apr 7: The Lt Governor’s administration has sought immediate report from respective Deputy Commissioners in the Valley on the temples and shrines properties of Kashmiri Hindus and Gurdwars etc asking them to file the update inventory within week’s time.
A communiqué in this regard has been sent to all Deputy Commissioners of Kashmir by Divisional Commissioner’s Office, Srinagar. The letter, while quoting the communication received from Lt Governor’s Secretariat asked them to ascertain any such instance like illegal lease of temples and shrines properties in their respective districts or nexus in temple properties being used illegally.
The Divisional Commissioner has asked the DCs to take appropriate and necessary action under rules with an intimation to his office. The letter has further asked all the DCs to furnish the updated inventory of religious minority properties in their respective districts including temples, Gurdwaras and others to his office within week’s time.
When contacted, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Vijay Kumar Bidhuri told Excelsior that no Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been constituted as such. He said a misinterpretation is being given by some people that SIT has been constituted for probe. “If there is SIT will you tell me who is heading that’’? he asked. There is no CBI or SIT probe, he added.
The Divisional Commissioner Kashmir said that some body has given an application to the Lt Governor who forwarded the same to my office. “And in a normal routine I forwarded that to DCs concerned to seek status report from them besides asking them to take action under rules and furnish the report within a week,’’ he added.
It may be recalled that the Lt Governor’s Secretariat on the basis of an application submitted by the J&K Peace Forum demanding probe into what it called the illegal lease of temple properties in Kashmir and nexus in these properties for illegal use, has appealed the Government to probe into illegal lease or sale of temple properties in Kashmir valley belonging to Hindu minority community.
Moreover, the applicant in his letter has also alleged the violation of Migrants Property Distress Sale Act 1997 and accused the successive Governments of last 33 years for their failure to protect the Hindu properties and shrines in Kashmir. He alleged that in several cases the temple properties have either been sold or given on illegal lease. The applicant has alleged that the land of temples and shrines has been sold or leased out in several districts in violation of Migrant Property Protection Act under which the respective Deputy Commissioners are the custodians of entire migrant property including that of Hindu shrines and temples in the Valley.
Meanwhile, a representative of Pandit Prem Nath Bhat Memorial Trust today reiterated that in case the Government in real sense is interested in protection of Hindu shrines and temples in Valley it should not waste any more time in passage of Kashmiri Hindu Shrines and Temples Bill for which the community is struggling for about two decades.
A spokesman of the Trust said that they have already met Lt Governor, Manoj Sinha in this regard and submitted a memorandum to him demanding passage of the Bill. He said till the passage of the Bill the Government should bring an Ordinance in this regard as this is the only way out to protect the age old Hindu shrines and cultural monuments of Kashmir.
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