The News Craving
The Newscraving Desk
Srinagar, Mar 21:
The Jammu and Kashmir Wakf Board has approached the Lieutenant Governor (LG), Manoj Sinha, seeking a CBI probe in the multi-crore scandal in the construction of the grand mosque of Charar-i-Sharief during the National Conference (NC) regime.
The Wakf Board chairperson, Dr Darakshan Andrabi, has taken up the matter with LG, Manoj Sinha, seeking the probe by the central agency in the scandal, officials said. The grand mosque was constructed after it was gutted in the fire in 1995 during the months of cordon that was laid around the township when militants were holed there. The entire township was reduced to ashes during the gunfight.
Tehsildar Wakf Board, Ishtiyaq Mohiudin, said that the matter has been taken up with the LG by Andrabi. This follows after the upper story of the mosque was declared unsafe for the prayers as people complained that the building structure would shake during heavy load. “ Once the load testing report is conveyed to us by NIT, the heads would roll and there would be an FIR,” said Ishtiyaq. He said that the Wakf Board would also probe the allegations that the relative of former Minister got the contract and benefited due to the shady deals.
Local residents said that authorities have spend over Rs 15 crore on the constructions and largely substandard material was used for it. “ We are aware that the roof of the building leaks. But works were carried out by JKPCC,” added the official.
According to sources the government would not take the risk of opening the mosque fully for prayer goers until it was safe for the congregants. “ The violations are brazen. If the money meant for the shrine construction would have been usurped by the government that is the height of corruption,” said local resident Inayat Gul.
Sources said that the JKPCC build the project at a higher cost citing the reason that it has to pay for the staff from the “ profits that it earns out of the mosque construction.”
The gates of the mosque which lies adjacent to the shrine of Shiekh Nurdin Wali (RA) remained closed for several months and were opened only recently. According to local residents the mosque, an entire wooden structure was constructed first during the Afghan rule and later refurbished by several governments.
