BJP MLC pushes for bill on maintenance of temples in Kashmir

BJP's Member of Legislative Council (MLC) Surinder Ambardar today urged Jammu and Kashmir government to re-introduce the Kashmiri Hindu Shrines and Religious places (Management and Regulation) Bill in current session of legislature and pass it.
He has said the temples and shrines needed to be brought under one umbrella for their maintenance as they are in dilapidated condition because of lack of any caretaker ever since the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley.
"I have written a letter to Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Ministry here for re-tabling of Kashmiri Hindu Shrines and Religious places (Management and Regulation) Bill in the current session," Ambardar said.

In his letter, he has stated that the bill was introduced in the Legislative Assembly by the previous government and was subsequently referred to a joint select committee by the House, as a result of which the objective of getting the bill passed was not achieved, he said.
The MLC mentioned that there are close to 1200 temples and shrines spread all across the Kashmir valley which hold a very important significance for all the Kashmiri Pandits.
"... Almost all of them are in dilapidated condition and it was in this context that the Bill was introduced so that all of these temples and shrines are brought under one umbrella in order to maintain their condition and manage their functioning," Ambardar said.

He said that before the exodus of KPs from the valley these sacred places of great reverence were managed by their respective committees.
"However after the exodus most of these temples and shrines were left with no caretakers which became one of the key factors of their dilapidated condition," Ambardar said.
He also mentioned that in order to restore the faith of the displaced community in the present dispensation of BJP-PDP government from which the community has lot of expectations, bill must be re-tabled in the coming session of the Legislative assembly starting from October 3rd so that the process of getting it passed gets started, he said.