A leading Kashmiri Pandit (KP) body has blamed the Jammu and Kashmir administration for failing to secure temple properties and overlooking a nexus between revenue officials and unscrupulous elements.
Satish Mahaldar, Chairman, Reconciliation, Return and Rehabilitation of Migrants, has accused the J&K administration for ignoring to get temple properties vacated, which are either sold, leased or rented out by the respective managements illegally for personal favours.
Mahaldar said more than 100 defunct temple trusts and societies are operating illegally within Kashmir, and the list of these were handed over to the J&K administration for necessary action.
“But eight months have passed and no action has been taken even to retrieve the land,” Mahaldar alleged.
The Kashmiri Pandit leader pointed out after the exodus of Hindus from the Valley, non-local elements in connivance with J&K government officials took control of the defunct temple trusts between 1989 and 2022. He alleged they later sold out or leased out the temple properties.
Mahaldar said he wondered how despite the Jammu and Kashmir High Court orders, non-resident Kashmiri migrants were allowed to sell the temple properties when the respective district deputy commissioners (J&K government) are the custodians of all migrant properties.
“The J&K government is unable to retrieve the sold over temple properties despite the Jammu and Kashmir Migrant Immovable Property Act, 1997 is in place,” he said.
He said instead of taking action against such officials involved in selling temple properties for a long time, it was giving protection to them.
He demanded an SIT probe into the selling and leasing out of the temple properties, adding that the defunct temple trusts and societies had failed to comply with statutory compliance laid down by the J&K state government since inception. “They have neither submitted any audited balance sheets nor conducted any election under rules,” he said.
Mahaldar has also urged Lieutenant-Governor Manoj Sinha to intervene and ensure all the temple land is retrieved according to the high court orders on Distress Sales Act, 1997.
“We request the J&K administration to immediately take action against all non-residents who are not living in Kashmir since the last 32 years and have self-created management trust of temples/ societies in various districts of Kashmir valley and are collecting money from the public,” he said.
He called for seizure of bank accounts of all defunct temple trusts /societies till fresh bodies are elected under the observation of the Registrar of societies.
“We fear money collected illegally by the defunct societies/ temple trusts is being used towards illegal activities which can harm the national interests,” he added.
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