Kranti Dal bats for setting up temple board in J&K

Kranti Dal on Tuesday batted for constituting a shrine board to manage affairs of hundreds of temples and their properties in Jammu and Kashmir.

The outfit said existing religious and historical places in the union territory should be publicised to attract tourists and pilgrims from across the globe.

Appreciating the Uttarakhand government for setting up a board for the historical Char Dham Yatra, President of Kranti Dal, Pritam Sharma urged Lt Governor Girish Chander Murmur to take a similar step for the temples and shrines in the Union Territory.

"We demand the constitution of the board for temples and their properties in Jammu and Kashmir in bid to manage and protect them," Sharma told reporters here.

"On the pattern of Uttarakhand shrine board, Lt Government Girish Chander Murmu should constitute a single shrine board for all historical temples in Jammu region and implemented policy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for one nation and one board of all temples," Sharma said.

He said that the constitution of the single shrine board for all historical temples will ensure development of all temples.

"Temple properties are being sold in Kashmir valley and there is no accountability... due to misusing funds, the condition of many temples is very poor," he added.

Sharma alleged that despite submitting several memorandums to the central government and the local BJP unit, no heed has been paid to the outfit's request.