Mubarak Mandi preservation project: Only 7% funds released, less than 5% utilised in a decade
JAMMU: The Mubarak Mandi heritage complex — once the royal residence of the kings of Jammu and Kashmir from the Dogra dynasty and identity of the the Dogras — remains a victim of official apathy.
The much-hyped preservation project of the royal complex moves at a snail’s pace. In a decade, only 7% of the funds were released for its preservation, out of which a miniscule 5% have been utilised.
The disappointing figures were revealed by the Mubarak Mandi Jammu Heritage Society (MMJHS) to Right to Information (RTI) activist Raman Sharma.
The palace is located in the heart of the old walled city of Jammu and overlooks the Tawi river.
RICH ARCHITECTURE AND HISTORY
The complex is grouped around several courtyards and includes various buildings and palaces like the Darbar Hall Complex, the Pink Palace, Royal Courts buildings, Gol Ghar Complex, Nawa Mahal, Rani Charak Palace, Hawa Mahal, the Toshakhana palace and the Sheesh Mahal.
The halls and galleries of the palace were used for official functions and ceremonies.
It was the main seat of Dogra rulers till 1925 when Maharaja Hari Singh moved to the Hari Niwas Palace in the northern part of Jammu.
The estimated cost of the preservation project was nearly ₹300 crore, said Sharma.
Since the project’s initiation in 2008, only ₹21 crore has been released by the government while the actual amount utilised so far is only ₹13.5 crore.
NO DATELINE SET FOR COMPLETION
“Also, no dateline has been fixed for the completion of the preservation project,” he said. The RTI response revealed that in the past two years, only one meeting of the MMJHS governing body, which is chaired by chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, has been held.
Apparently, no serious effort has been made by the government to expedite the pace of work on this prestigious project, which is not only the symbol of cultural heritage of Jammu and Kashmir but also important for giving an impetus to the sagging tourism across Jammu, regretted Sharma.