Refurbish Boards of major Jammu shrines

Major shrines of historic Shiv Khori, Mata Sukrala and Mata Bala Sundri in Reasi and Kathua districts of Jammu respectively continue to be neglected by the two Boards which were constituted several years back to address infrastructural development issues. In other words, constituting Boards has made no or little difference in so far as coming up to the expectations of the visiting devotees and pilgrims to these shrines is concerned. Scarcity of reasonably better facilities at these shrines continue to haunt those on the twin Boards who had promised the pilgrims moon but all those projects which could make a dent on the scene, continue to be in doldrums.
Shri Shiv Khori Shrine Board, it may be recalled, was established in the year 2003 and the Board for Mata Sukrala and Mata Bala Sundri Shrines in Billawar area of Kathua district was constituted on the persistent demand of the people in April 2013. The hopes associated with these Boards, to be precise, have been belied by the dormancy of their functioning and one wonders as to why this type of approach is seen in respect of Hindu shrines and why are not steps taken to stem the rot and instead, things allowed to reach to such a pass.
The recklessness towards fulfilment of the objectives of the formation of these two Boards is this much that both these Boards have not met even once during the last period of over one and half years . The Head of the Boards and the members on it, have taken it so casually which has resulted in not even one issue getting resolved thus defeating the very purpose of the formation of the Boards. Pilgrims continue to suffer and devotees’ groans are unaddressed. Ambiance around the shrines speaks about the scope of lot of improvement. Major projects planned several years back with a lot of political puffery and showbiz are nowhere in a performing mode. The projects which were discussed in ninth and tenth meetings of the Shiv Khori Shrine Board held in September 2016 like Aerial ropeway from the base camp to an identified area near the cave shrine, approach road to the helipad and setting up of a sewage treatment plant for the shrine area, continue to languish and dwindle with no major headway.
Divisional Commissioner Jammu as Chairman of the Board, has not been reviewing and appraising the progress of the works and projects about which his office gave necessary directions. The fact of the matter is that except a little progress in construction of approach road to helipad, there is nothing to show by the Board on its performance result card. Take off point of the much talked of aerial ropeway has not been decided up till now and the most badly needed sewage treatment plant is nonexistent in the list of projects with working mode. Had the Board been convening its mandatory meetings at regular intervals after the last one held in December 2016, a summary inspection of the works underway would have brought into limelight where the problems were faced at execution levels and how could those be resolved.
Mata Sukrala and Bala Sundri Shrines Board too has failed in meeting the aspirations of the people despite lapse of five long years. In fact, its performance is much worse than the Shiv Khori Shrine Board as there appear no facilities available worth the name for the visiting devotees, pilgrims and tourists. Litigations including the rights of the Baridars pending in courts have also contributed towards plaguing the working results of the Board. Offerings received even, are not utilized for the betterment of the infrastructural development of these shrines. Why should these ailing Boards and others “looking after ” such shrines not be brought under the overall umbrella and control of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board so that better infrastructure and facilities could be made possible.

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