*Rs 40 cr provision kept for current financial year
Conservation, adaptive reuse of 5 buildings within 3 yrs
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, July 7: With Government shifting funding from Languishing Projects Scheme to Capex Budget and providing dedicated Engineering Wing, the restoration work on historic Mubarak Mandi Complex is all set to get necessary fillip. Moreover, three years timeline has been fixed for conservation work and adaptive reuse of five main buildings at a cost of Rs 140 crore.
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Official sources told EXCELSIOR that till recent past the restoration of Mubarak Mandi Complex was being conducted by providing funds under Languishing Projects Scheme and due to this timely availability of funds always remained an issue. Now, this issue has been resolved as Government has shifted the funding to Capex Budget especially in the light of the fact that Languishing Projects Scheme is now more operative.
Further, it has been decided that five main buildings of the complex—Raja Ram Singh Palace, Dogra Art Museum, Army Headquarters, Darbar Hall and Central Courtyard will be completely restored on priority and three years (2024-25, 2025-26 and 2026-27) time-line has been fixed for the physical work and adaptive reuse of the same after completion, sources said.
Moreover, the Government has kept a provision of Rs 140 crore for these buildings in the Capex Budget and an amount of Rs 40 crore will be released during the current financial year. “The Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) of all these five buildings have already been prepared and decision about the adaptive refuse will be taken well before the completion of restoration work”, sources informed.
Earlier, only two-three engineers from a wing of the Tourism Department were looking after the restoration work of the Mubarak Mandi Complex and now the manpower issue has also been resolved by placing dedicated Engineering Wing of the R&B Department at the disposal of Mubarak Mandi Heritage Society.
“A full-fledged division of the R&B Department is looking after the restoration work of Mubarak Mandi and this division has been given only two-three other works so as to ensure required focus on historic complex”, sources said, adding “this has become possible after the recent restructuring of the engineering wings of different departments by the Government”.
When contacted, Principal Secretary Culture Department, Suresh Kumar Gupta, confirmed that Government has shifted funding of the Mubarak Mandi restoration from Languishing Projects Scheme to Capex Budget and resolved the manpower issue. “Now, the work will get necessary fillip and hopefully we will be able to meet the timeline of three years for completion of work on five main buildings and their adaptive refuse”, he added.
He informed that even Mubarak Mandi Heritage Society has been provided adequate administrative staff by the Culture Department and even a Conservation Architect, who is expert in the restoration of heritage sites, has been engaged by the Society for providing guidance and to ensure regular supervision of the restoration work.
When asked, Principal Secretary said, “as both the key issues have been resolved the restoration work will go on smoothly now onwards”.
It is pertinent to mention here that Vide SRO-126 dated April 26, 2005, the historic Mubarak Mandi Complex was declared as State Protected Monument as per the provisions of Ancient Monuments Preservation Act and thereafter the Directorate of Archives, Archaeology and Museums started getting the repair works of urgent nature carried out through the Tourism Department.
After the formulation of Mubarak Mandi Heritage Society, the Government vide Order No.561-GAD dated April 23, 2008 transferred the complex to the Society for management and conservation purposes only. In the absence of any dedicated manpower at its disposal even the Society started restoration works through M&W Wing of the Directorate of Tourism Jammu as such Tourism became the Administrative Department of the historic complex.
Recently, Government shifted the Administrative Department of Mubarak Mandi from Tourism to Culture, which has now got two major issues resolved.
It may be recalled that Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, on numerous occasions, directed officials to take every possible measure to ensure ongoing conservation measures of the historic complex are geared up as Mubarak Mandi is a symbol of inherited traditions and priceless social values.
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