STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: Dogra Sadar Sabha (DSS) President Th. Gulchain Singh Charak thanked Lt Governor for presenting Jammu with the phase of long pending project of the Gandola Ropeway connecting Mahamaya, Bage-Bahu and Bahu Fort with Peerkho temples.
The Former Minister of the erstwhile J&K State Th. Gulchain Singh Charak was Chairman of the Executive Body and Vice Chairman of the Governing Body of the Mubarak Mandi Jammu Heritage Society with the Chief Minister/Governor in Chair.
He was instrumental and connected with this project from the beginning till he resigned from the chairmanship of the Executive Body in protest against refusal of J&K Government to host the President of India at the prestigious Mubarak Mandi Heritage Project, which was fixed by him and duly approved by the President of India. Briefing the press, he informed that initially the project was conceived to connect Mahamaya and Bage-Bahu to Mubarak Mandi Heritage Complex. The original Project had wider tourism scope to include Mubarak Mandi Heritage sites thus enhancing the footfall well beyond religious tourism.
However the plans were modified in his absence to exclude Dogra Heritage Site and taken to the foot of the same hill feature at escalated costs, he said.
President DSS informed that this was taken up by the DSS and a detailed powerpoint presentation given to the then Advisors Khurshid Ahmad Ganai and K.K Sharma.
They promised to build an escalator that shall now connect Peer-Kho to Mubarak Mandi. Not much seems to have moved in that direction.
DSS strongly recommended to take on and complete the work for the escalator at the earliest as also expedite the Mubarak Mandi restoration, now moving at a snail’s pace.
Gulchain Singh cautioned that extensive damages are recently noticed in the Mubarak Mandi. The hill side may cave in during heavy rains and is like a time bomb. Immediate construction of retention walls along the slopes on circular road side can save this impending disaster, to lives, property and loss of the Grand Historical Monuments, he said.
DSS further reiterated their outstanding demand of removing the barrier from the front of Jammu Secretariat and shifting it closer to the main building that will save the agony of school/ college going children, temple devotees, tourists and visitors to Zanana Park, Bahu Lochan Site and funeral processions – all walking an additional three Kms each way.
DSS further proposes a face lift of the Secretariat Building repositioning of the National flag centrally in a more graceful manner.
Those prominent in the Press meet were S/Shri P.S. Gupta, Brig. M.S. Jamwal, Col. Dr. Virendra.K. Sahi, VrC, Gambhir Dev Singh Charak, Janak Khajuria, Amanat Ali Shah, S. Kulbir Singh, Advocate D.S. Chauhan, S. Balwinder Singh, Madan Rangeela and others.