Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, Oct 16: The restoration work of much talked about historic Mubarak Mandi complex has hit a roadblock with Archeological Survey of India (ASI) showing its inability to take up the renovation work of Gadhavi Khana, Royal Court and Badi Deodi in hand.
According to highly placed sources, the constant delay in the construction of the Mubarak Mandi complex a testimony of rich Dogra heritage has been a cause of concern for the people who feel that much politicking and less work was done on restoration of this prestigious project.
Sources said the ASI, which has been allotted the renovation work of these three complexes by the J&K Tourism Department has not shown keen interest in completing the project in a stipulated time frame and even after releasing the payment of Rs one crore to ASI in last year, the work has not been started on these three complexes till date. The ASI had assured the State Government to start the work in March this year but failed to keep the promise till date, sources added.
Sources said the delay has been created by ASI Head Office, New Delhi which till date failed to sanction the estimate for starting the work on these three complexes. Earlier separate estimates were framed for three complexes by the ASI Circle Jammu, but the Delhi Head Office returned it and issued directives to its J&K Circle to club them by framing a single estimate, sources added.
Sources said later the Head Office created objections on rates quoted by ASI saying that they were on higher side leading to further delay in start of work. Though the rates quoted by ASI were as per CPWD and PWD schedule, later a committee was framed by ASI Circle Jammu to verify the rates and again objections were raised by Head Office that no expert from CPWD and PWD was included in the said Committee.
In this process over six months have been lost, sources said, adding when the Estimates were not sanctioned in over six months how the work could be started.
Sources said that earlier while allotting the work the State Government had said that the ASI was the only expert agency in the country which can do this delicate work.
The Mubarak Mandi complex is spread over 119 kanals of land and it houses huge structures which included two palaces of Rani Chadki, Gole Ghar of Maharaja Ghulabh Singh that caught fire in 1981 and many other complexes like Erstwhile Army Headquarters of the State and Foreign Office.
The renovation of the Mubarak Mandi Heritage Project has been funded by Centre Mahalwise and under the 13th Finance Commission the State has been sanctioned Rs 50 crore while under Megha Tourism Project Rs 16 crore were sanctioned out of which Rs 3.38 crore were received by the State, official sources said.
Sources said that the work on Erstwhile Army Headquarters and Foreign Office which were also allotted to ASI are complete and over Rs 2.50 crore were spent on it. However the Khatambandi is to be done which will be completed soon, sources added.
Sources said to speed up the work on the Project the Heritage Society has assigned the renovation of Raja Amar Singh Palace to Construction Division of Tourism Department and work has been started on the same. The work on Diwan-e-Aam will also be started soon by the construction Division of Tourism Department, sources added.
Admitting that the work was delayed constantly the authorities the Director Tourism, Jammu Soujanya Sharma said that initial delay was because of ASI which could not start the same for one and a half year.
However he said that the project can’t be of time bound as the renovation work is of delicate nature.
It may be recalled that the Mubarak Mandi Project was declared as Heritage Centre in 2005 and to restore its pristine glory the renovation work was started in 2006-07 but till date the Project has not been completed.
The Minister of Tourism G A Mir who convened the meeting of the Mubarak Mandi Heritage Society Jammu yesterday has also shown his keen interest in completion of the project in a time bound manner and stressed on its renovation without affecting the original shape of the buildings. He said a Committee has been deputed to Rajasthan to learn the effective ways of preservation of old monuments.
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