Srinagar, Sep 22: The J&K Waqf Board has identified the land for a proposed cancer hospital in Kashmir at Eidgah area of Srinagar with Chairperson Darakhshan Andrabi saying that the foundation stone of the hospital is likely to be laid by Union Home Minister Amit Shah soon.
Andrabi said that the cancer hospital was set to come up near Hazrat Sultanul Arifeen (RA) shrine, but the Department of Archaeology didn’t allow the construction of a building there.
However, she said that a huge chunk of Waqf land, which is near about 650 kanals in Eidgah is available from which the encroachment will be removed and 60-80 kanals of land will be kept for the cancer hospital so that the poor and needy people will get some respite. “This is the time when a cancer hospital has to come up and if the step is not taken at this juncture, it can never be taken in the future,” she said.
Asked about the laying of foundation stone of the Cancer hospital, she said, “We have requested the Home Minister Amit Shah and he will likely lay the foundation stone of the hospital.”
“We have been receiving mails and phone calls about the cancer hospital as the people are ready to donate for the great cause,” she said.
Over the Waqf’s decision to ban on ‘Dastaar Bandi (tying of headgear to influential people), Andrabi said that the shrines are “only meant for performing religious obligations and making the religious places political platform will not be allowed at any cost”. “The people visit these shrines to get peace, pray and get blessings. To keep the sanctity of these religious places, it has been decided that no political leader should be allowed to make it a political platform,” she said.
“We are trying to set the things correct in the Waqf board and thus the frequent orders are being made with an aim to ensure transparency and accountability in the Waqf,” she said.
About the arrest of the religious clerics, she said that the Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has been informed about it and the matter will be looked into and the innocents will be freed as happened in the past.
“We also appeal the government to take action against the political leaders, who have been making controversial statements,” she said.
