The Hindu : National : Heritage building in Jammu damaged

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Aug 04, 2004

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National

Heritage building in Jammu damaged

By Our Staff Reporter

JAMMU, AUG. 3. A part of the 150-year-old Mubarik Mandi complex that once housed the Dogra monarchs who ruled Jammu and Kashmir was damaged during repair work.

Locals, heritage lovers and conservationists protested against this.

Located in the middle of Jammu city, the complex is one of the oldest heritage buildings in the State. The complex later housed Government offices.

Now it houses judicial offices and lawyers' chambers.

Declared unsafe

According to estate officials, the complex was declared unsafe in 1995.

The Bar Association represented to the Estate Department to undertake repairs to prevent a mishap.

Heritages lovers say the Archaeological Sites and Protected Monuments Act, 1958, specifies that any work on historic structures shall be documented and done with technical expertise.

During the repair work done at the queen's palace on Sunday morning, three carved wooden panels were razed to the ground. No experts were at hand to monitor the work, as per law.

The non-government organisation Preserve Art Treasure Heritage filed a police complaint. The Director, State Archives, Archaeology and Museums Department, S.K. Qadri, said he was not informed about the repairs by the Estate Department.

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