Heritage on Verge

Heritage on Verge
Deewan Mandir: A Saga of neglection

Yash Khajuria

Jammu, Nov 04 : Call it a gift of negligence that the institution which has proven platform to in numerous of bollywood personalities including Legends Om Parkash, Prithvi Raj Kapoor and K.L Saigal from Jammu is presently got converted into a “Goshala” to a larger extent due to encroachment that’s too with the support of JDA and apathy of successive state government ruled there.

This divine institution is nothing else, it is the old and ancient Deewan Mandir situated at Prade Jammu. This temple is more than 125 years old and is the place from where a number of artists of Jammu started their career by participating and playing role in the “Ramlila” which was started their before the independence.
The temple is world wide famous for is Ramlila which is as old as it was and for producing bollywood personalities from Jammu. Also an “Akhara” ground is there behind the temple where a construction work of GYM is going on.

 But the present condition of this temple is miserable in every sense due to encroachment by the masses within the premises of temple who has converted the temple into a “Goshala” by tiding their animals with the grills fitted to preserve the ancient sculptures in the temple and by throwing animal and domestic waste within its premises.

Not only the premises these encroachers have also encroached the main street by tiding their animals due to which it has became difficult to walk on that street which is the only path to the said temple.
Taking to TNI  Varun Vasundra, Trustee Dewan Mandir Trust disclosed that the Jammu Development Authority (JDA) is responsible for this miserable condition of the temple upto a great extent. He said that JDA had forcibly acquired the land of temple for the construction of parking slot and had agreed to provide two security guards, two pujaris and to bear all the renovation cost of the temple for the lifetime.
He said that in the earlier phase JDA started renovation of the temple and installed some heavy focus lights for the decoration of this historic temple but later the electric connection of the lights was disconnected by the PDD on non receipt of bill from JDA.

Also the renovation work started by stopped at midway after which a case was lodged in the court of Law and after 6 years legal battle court ordered JDA to pay Rs 48 lacs as compensation for the land acquired, but till date the compensation is laying in the court due to no real owner of the temple.

He further that there is a “Akhada” land behind the temple but now with the financial assistance from MLA Ashok Khajuria modern gymnasium hall is being constructed there but no one is paying attention towards the historic temple on whose name the Akhada is known.

He uttered that on the repeated request to Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) they send their employees few days ago who left after little cleaning and on been asked to provide cleaner they said that it is a private temple and demanded to pay Rs 6000 monthly for that.
He expressed than on being a historic and eminent temple government has to show its interest for its renovation and decoration as it is the honour and pride of the Jammu.

Flower Garden; Victim of Govt’s apathy

Flower Garden; Victim of Govt’s apathy 

Five years on but beauty yet to bloom 

Yash Khajuria

JAMMU, Oct 27: Thousands of flower bloomed and got withered, but remained hapless to smell fragrance to the stuffy noses of the authorities as the flower garden at Bhour camp, dedicated by government almost five years ago for the promotion of tourism and to welcome tourists, is on verge due to the unwelcoming and discriminatory approach of the Government.

Spread across 563 kanals of land, this panoramic garden was conceived by then Chief Minister
Gulam Nabi Azad himself five years ago with a view to attract visitors to the state, but currently the garden wears deserted look facing worse which could happen.

What could lead to dishearten the people enthusiastic about the Garden as the Floriculture department which has survived  the existing garden with the hefty investment of Rs 8.5 crore has disclosed the information that the Said Garden at Bhour camp is not even been Sanctioned yet by the government.

In this context when contacted to the Director Floriculture K K Sharma has said that the way things have gone I strongly felt that the inauguration of the said garden by the then Chief minister was just a leveling act to the Tulip garden at Srinagar, Because except the inauguration of the Land the government has never offered a look to that piece of land.

“In fact I was the officer at the helm of the affairs at that time and I have delivered my duties with much endeavor though, I was anxious to prove my abilities and to create history by erecting a panoramic garden in the Jammu, but with the casual approach of the government all my attempt were gone to deaf ears” he said.

“First of all the topographically the land was not suitable to a gardening practice as the area was a flood prone area which offers 6 feet flow of flood when its rainy season. But with the assistance of ERA dept which has constructed the protection wall to the garden this problem was sorted. Then the apathetic approach of the MLA concerning and the minister for
floriculture has resulted the present piece of land. 

“The flouricultre department is paralyzed badly short of the Staff. In Gandhi Nagar alone, there are more than 80 parks and the department have only 9 base level officials and casual laborers are also very few so it is impossible to maintain the so Called Biggest Garden of the state with this much numbers of officials” he quipped. 

He said that even the said garden was not anywhere in the project as the land was allocated for the plantation of Botanical Garden which was choked only in the files then we tracked again for a recreation garden out there but this seems that the land has nothing to get a facelift ahead of this reluctant government. He concluded that we have re-tabled the estimated project of Rs. 28.50 crore for the development of recreation Garden at Bhour camp ahead the government but now it is the government who lacks to initiate.  

JMC on alert to check inflow of adulterated products in Jammu

JMC on alert to check inflow of adulterated products in Jammu

Yash Khajuria

JAMMU, Oct 31: Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) has intensified its anti-adulteration drive, by conducting raids on various commercial outlets, particularly those selling dairy products and sweet ahead of festival of lights.

Ahead of two close fest Karva Chauth and Diwali the JMC have deployed teams comprising members from sanitation workers and food safety officers under the direct supervision of JMC’s Health Officer, Vinod Sharma have been asked to keep a check on adulterers.

So far the JMC has taken nearly 30 samples from the different localities, and has sent them to the Lab to analyze adulteration in food items.

When contacted Health Officer, JMC he said that in the wake of the festival season, the corporation has sounded an alert and has initiated special anti-adulteration drive.

“Teams are being deputed for the purpose and they are busy in inspecting various outlets and there is no dearth of staff in keeping a check over unscrupulous shopkeepers, who are in a bid to make fast and easy money, by indulged in the malpractice.”

He said that the team has detected 5 quintals synthetic khoya during its vigil at Railway station Jammu which is being fetched in large quantities from neighboring states.

“I am personally supervising the entire exercise and my teams are conducting raids of the suspected areas in Jammu,” he said.

“We are also keeping a sharp vigil on the Jammu Railway Station. So far, no big consignment of synthetic khoya has come, but we cannot remain complacent as the khoya is unfit for human consumption,” Vinod Sharma Said.

He adds that despite the vigil on adulteration in fodder items we have also deployed staff from our sanitation team to pulverize the insecticide at unhygienic places also at the drains in the city.

During Navratras and Eid, JMC inspected approximately 4000 establishments like sweetshops, restaurants, roadside eateries, fruit juice sellers, meat shops, tea stalls, bakeries and confectionary shops etc and booked the defaulter who has been fined by the court.

The drive was conducted at Railways Station Bikram Chowk, Airport, Satwari, Residency Road, etc.

About 4 quintals of unwholesome sweets, bakery products, stale cooked food and about 60 kg of Chinese food prepared under unhygienic condition were also destroyed on-the-spot, he added. 

LPG consumers happy, as KYC deadline extended

LPG consumers happy, as KYC deadline extended

Yash Khajuria

JAMMU, Oct 31: The extension in deadline to submit ‘Know Your Customer’ KYC form by the Government have offered a bit respite for those consumers who failed to submit the KYC form to get subsidized cylinder by Oct 31 as they have been offered 15 more days to complete the process.

Simran Khajuria a housewife with a relief on her face ahs said the sudden change in rules ahead of festival season had given headache to homemakers and government officials, because we were short in time to submit the KYC due to our job schedule, even after two days leave I had taken from the office to complete the formalities but could not got it done due to resistible chaos at the distribution centre, now this extension in the deadline have made it more convenient for service bearers.

Following the unmanageable rush for filling up the forms which is mandatory to get the quota of six subsidized LPG cylinders in a year, the government has extended the deadline till Nov 15 and now consumers in the state have supplementary time to give all the necessary details like Name, Date of birth, Father’s Name, Mother’s Name Spouse name, Complete address of their respective residence with pin-code and other details in self attested photo copies of each, said an official of LPG Distribution centre at Gandhi Nagar.

He said that all domestic cooking gas users don't need to submit the KYC form. “Multiple families staying at a single address (may be on rent), siblings sharing parental property but with different connections, need to submit KYC. Several families staying in the same apartment need not worry about duplication of address. As many of the official got transferred to the winter capital and those seeking re-activation of their blocked connection only need to submit the KYC,” he added.

Although, regarding issue to increase the LPG subsidy cap for consumers of the State, when contacted to the Director CAPD he said that the minister for CAPD Qamar Ali Akhoon is already in Delhi and he has scheduled a meeting with the Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas veerappa moily and he is likely to discuss the issue out there. However, the minister for CAPD- Qamar Ali Akhoon could not be contacted despite several attempts.