Shrine bill

Things take their own time to move. That is true only when the movement is natural and normal. If it is not, then manipulation, for whatever reason, is in play.
Legislative Assembly gave a nod in last session to formation of Shrine Board for taking care of two shrines in Billawar area of Kathua district, namely Sukrala Mata and Bala Sundari. Nothing has practically moved after the bill was passed, the reason being abysmal lethargy, criminal lack of a sense of responsibility and absence of accountability.
The Board has not been formed. Who should be the ex-officio member of the 11 member Board and who should not be, that is one question. The Tourism Department has sent in the names of the non ex-officio to the Law Department which, in turn, is reported to be sitting on the file. Why is it so?  Are vested interests at work? People had great expectations that the constitution of the Board would be completed expeditiously and the work on the development of the shrines in question would begin. It would have contributed to the development of the areas in a positive way. At the same time, the donation boxes, sealed by an order of the Government, continue to be filled with donations from pilgrims. These are locked and will not be opened by anybody other than the Board when formally constituted. This means the money donated is lying idle and is not being used for the purpose for which it is accumulated.
The manner in which proper care and development of the shrines is left to negligence is a sad commentary on the performance and delivery of both the Tourism and the Law Departments. It means they have no concern for the sentiments of the people. The Shrine Board for the twin shrines was designed to come up on the pattern of Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, which has become a model to be emulated and replicated by other Shrine Boards. The Governor has already given his consent to the bill leading to the constitution of the Shrine Board. Further delay in finalizing the constitution of the Board may not be only inadvisable but is likely to generate a wave of discontent and anger among the people who repose faith in the shrines. It is tantamount to playing with their sentiments of devotees. Even the Minister of State for Cooperative (Independent Charge), Dr Manohar Lal Sharma, who was instrumental in getting the Shrine Bill through in the Assembly, had to strike extra nerve to see that the Board is constituted without further delay. This is not the first instance of administration taking the decision of the law making body very lightly. In several other cases also, and which have been reflected in these columns from time to time, the decisions of the legislature have been given only scant attention by the executive. Those at the helm of administration should take note of this unwanted and unhealthy trend seeping into the administrative channels. It has to be stopped sooner than later.

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