In Jammu and Kashmir, in a significant development, Government has directed both the Divisional Commissioners and all the 20 Deputy Commissioners to ensure demarcation of land of temples in their respective jurisdiction and removal of encroachments. detailed status of all the historic temples will be collected and hosted on the website of the Department of Culture. The Chief Secretary recently held deliberations on restoration of temples in J&K in the light of the order passed by the Division Bench of the High Court of J&K and Ladakh in a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) titled Gautam Anand Versus Union of India and Others. In the PIL, it was submitted that the respondents have failed to discharge their duties regarding protection and welfare of the ancient Hindu temples situated in J&K even after receipt of written representations from the petitioner. The petitioner also prayed for issuance of direction to the respondents to take appropriate recourse to protect, rebuild and renovate the ancient temples of the UT of J&K and retrieve the land of the temples encroached by the mafia and other property dealers. The Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Tashi Rabstan and Justice Puneet Gupta vide order dated July 31, 2024 dismissed the PIL as withdrawn with the direction to the respondents to consider and decide the representation of the petitioner within a period of four weeks from the date of filing of the same failing which the petitioner will be at liberty to re-agitate the matter before the court. Following the order of the High Court, the petitioner submitted a representation to the Chief Secretary followed by reminder seeking constitution of a committee to look after the temples and demarcation of the land of temples etc. The Chief Secretary directed Department of Culture to coordinate with both Divisional Commissioners to collect data from all the Deputy Commissioners on the status of temples along with land and after compilation of data the same should be hosted on the website of Department of Culture.