Srinagar, Oct 7: J&K’s Financial Commissioner (Revenue) has asked Deputy Commissioner Srinagar to constitute a four-member committee of government officials for running the management of the Raghunath Temple property at Barzulla here.
Shaleen Kabra, who is also Commissioner of Agrarian Reforms, ordered that the committee should comprise an officer of the rank of Assistant Commissioner or Sub Divisional Magistrate or above as the head along with the District Treasury Officer, Tehsildar concerned and any other government official to be chosen by the Deputy Commissioner for the management of the temple property.
“On the administrative side, the Divisional Commissioner Kashmir should file a detailed status report along with his recommendations concerning encroachments and illegal entries made in the revenue records within 15 days,” said the Financial Commissioner in an order passed on October 6 while dismissing a review petition filed regarding the temple property measuring 159 kanal and 10 marlas and 192 feet.
Manager Raghunath Temple Barzulla Vijay Sharma had filed the petition seeking a review of the order dated October 16, 2019, passed by the Financial Commissioner under which his petition challenging the cancellation of mutation of the property in his name was set aside.
The Financial Commissioner had set aside the mutation on the ground that the property belonging to the temple could not be inherited by a private person.
Referring to the Supreme Court’s order, the Financial Commissioner held that the temple property was owned by the deity as a legal person and could not be inherited by a private person.
It had also directed the Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar to take appropriate steps to put in place a mechanism to manage the temple property fairly and transparently.
The case pertains to the illegal land grabbing by High Court Bar Association (HCBA) President Mian Qayoom and others.
Earlier, Police had carried out a raid at the residence of Mian Qayoom and Police sources had said that incriminating documents were seized from there that included documents about more than 159 kanal of land of temples allegedly grabbed by Qayoom and others through coercive and fraudulent means.
A Police spokesman had said that digital devices, bank statements, property sale agreements, suspicious books, and other relevant material was seized during the searches.