Kashmir Media Watch Disclosure
Srinagar, March 21: Kashmir is revered as the land of great Saints, Sufis. It is gifted with religious wealth in the form of number of shrines and places of worship enjoying respect and commitment of people professing different faiths.
As a matter of fact, Muslim Wakf Board, which has the unique distinction of being second largest asset rich body in Jammu and Kashmir after the government is the custodian of these 47 holy shrines in the Kashmir Valley. WAKF Board gets tremendous income from the Nazar o Niyaz (Donations) made by the devotees visiting these sacred shrines with unflinching faith.
It is a sorry fact that despite generating tremendous income one fails to witness any impressive or welfare work done by the WAKF Board. The reality has been constantly hurting masses in Kashmir that despite generating tremendous income one fails to witness any remarkable work done by the WAKF Board especially in key education, health sectors . Even many of the shrines under WAKF lack proper management.
Despite Jammu and Kashmir becoming Union Territory the WAKF Board is still to see marked improvement.
Even the graveyards under supervision of WAKF have not been properly maintained and governed , the plight of Malakhah graveyard bears witness to this fact as this and most of graveyards in Kashmir have felt prey to land mafias. Even the gravediggers have not been regulated by the WAKF as they charge anything between 30k to 40k to families for digging graves of their passed ones .
It is learnt that very little amount is spend by WAKF for orphans .
Nazir Ahmad, a devotee at Makhdoom Sahab Shrine states – “ WAKF Board has not lived upto the expectations of people of Kashmir as it has on most of times been found not upto mark with reference to efficiency and been symbol of unimpressive work culture . WAKF Board has failed to contribute impressively in any of the sectors be it health or education sector. . At many points, even the staircases leading to this famous Shrine are in shambles and the rooms constructed for devotees are also highly unhygienic. WAKF needs to take a long stride to achieve accountability and achieve some success in health and education sector .”
Masses urge that WAKF Board has failed to achieve anything substantial and need of the hour is to ensure accountability in religious boards like WAKF and install honest persons at helm of affairs.
