Jammu Oct 23: Senior BJP leader and JMC Councillior Sanjay Kumar Baru along with PTI bureau chief and Palms Welfare Association president Anil Bhat, BJP State Publicity Secretary Ayodhya Gupta, BJP TalabTillo Mandal President Keshav Chopra, BJP district secretary Brijesh Gupta and local BJP leader Jatin Sethi submitted a memorandum to Arjun Ram Meghwal Union Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs and Culture GoI in presence of Member Parliament Jammu-Poonch Constituency Jugal Kishore Sharma during his tour at Hazuribag area falling in Jammu west constituency.
At the arrival Sanjay Baru welcomed the Union Minister and Member Parliament in his ward and submitted memorandum demanding the renovation and restoration of historical Dogra Heritage Maharaja’s Gole Mahal (Baradari) by removing the illegitimate possession of property dealers and handing over the same to ASI Archeological Survey of India & department of Culture.
Baru revealed that Gole Mahal situated at Hazuri Bagh in Talab Tillo is an old heritage site which building is spread over five kanals and 17 marlas since last more than 150 years. In 2011, a property dealer had tried to dismantle the main big-arched gate of the 150-year-old monument, built by then Maharaja Partap Singh, and its eastern and western gates along with a three-floor staircase and brick tower allegedly by bulldozers and cranes.
He further revealed that Kartar Singh, a local resident, had filed a public interest litigation (PIL) in the high court for its protection after an attempt was made to raze it. The court had issued notices to the state government and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), directing them to ensure that the status quo was maintained. At that time, state archaeology and museum department deputy director Mohmmad Ashraf had then directed the administration to stop the dismantling of the monument after locals complained about it.
A three-member panel, headed by the then additional deputy commissioner, Rehana Batool, had in 2011 filed a report with the recommendation that the monument be declared a protected site.
Constructed in a mango orchard in the city’s Hazuri Bagh area, Gole Mahal is famous for its round-shaped lotus-look. It also housed the jail where former chief minister Sheikh Abdullah was detained for a while during emergency.
They urged the Union Minister to intervene and prevail upon Jammu and Kashmir government to proceed further to removal encroacher from the monument and renovate it and in response Union Minister has ensured and instructed the concerned officers ffor immediate necessary action to restore glory of this historical dogra heritage.
