J&K govt made no commitment to Vaishno Devi baridars’: Centre
The Centre on Tuesday said that J&K government has made no commitment or promise “to find permanent solution to the problems of thousands of Baridars (erstwhile caretakers) of the holy cave shrine of Goddess Vaishno Devi, nestled in Trikuta hills of Reasi district.
The government also claimed there was no “subsistence crisis” relating to families of Baridars of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine as was being alleged by the Baridar community.
Baridars are alleging that they are left jobless and it has become difficult for them to make their ends meet as they are forced to live under extreme poverty.
Responding to a query of Shiv Sena MP from Thane in Maharashtra in Lok Sabha regarding government’s promise to find permanent solution to the problems of Baridar, the Union MoS, Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai said, “The government of Jammu and Kashmir has informed that no such record/information is available”.
The Shiv Sena MP had asked whether the Government was aware that “about 20,000 families of Baridars or priest (Hindu Community) families are facing crisis of their subsistence as they were dependent on offering and who have been worshipping Maa Vaishnodevi since thousands of years and they have been expelled out of the cave without prior notice and all rights have been vested in the shrine board on August 30, 1986 all of a sudden”.
“The Government of Jammu and Kashmir has not reported any such subsistence crisis relating to families of Baridars of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine,” the union minister said.
Asked about various initiatives have been taken by the government for the welfare of Baridar families, the union minister said an amount of Rs.9.35 crore (including interest) has been disbursed to the Baridar families as compensation while an amount of Rs.8.45 crore has been disbursed to 15,379 students belonging to the erstwhile Baridar families as scholarships.
“An amount of Rs.4.05 crore has been distributed to 1311 families as financial assistance to the Baridars for the marriage of their daughters while Rs.1 lakh fixed deposit receipt has been kept reserved for each of 79 girl children of Baridar families under the adoption of girl child scheme. In addition, Rs.500 per month is disbursed to the families of the registered 79 girl children of Baridar,” he said.
Pertinently, the administration and management of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine are vested in the Shri Mata
Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, an autonomous body constituted through an act of J&K State Legislature in August, 1986.
Baridars have been demanding 40 per cent reservations in employments in the shrine board as per qualification for the Baridars. Apart from employment, they demand scholarships to their children in higher education.
