38,000 Hindu temples underneath management of HR&CE dept, SC seeks response from Tamil Nadu govt

The Supreme Court on Thursday demanded the Government of Tamil Nadu’s assertion to a petition alleging that the administration not directly had taken over the operation of over 38000 temples within the state of Tamil Nadu by recruiting government officers however with out nominating temple trustees. According to the petition, the act has resulted within the mishandling of the funds of huge temples. A bench consisting of CJI DY Chandrachud and Justice PS Narasimha heard the case on December 13 looking for a response from the state authorities.

The petition which was filed by the ‘Indic Collective Trust,’ urged the Supreme Court to overturn a Madras High Court determination that had dismissed the case earlier. The petition acknowledged that whereas the Conditions for Appointment of Executive Officers Rules, 2015 restrict Executive Officer appointments to a most of 5 years, the Executive Officers recruited by the state authorities had been nominated indefinitely with no situations specified of their appointment orders.

The plea contended that the state had violated the Articles 25, 26 and 29 of the Constitution of India by appointing Executive Officers within the temples of Tamil Nadu. While itemizing varied examples of mismanagement of temples by EOs, the Petitioner maintained that choices associated to initiatives and actions costing crores of rupees are left to be taken with such EOs, inflicting great injury to the pursuits of the Deity and Temple Devotees.

‘It can be a matter of concern that the Respondents have positioned EOs in a number of temples with abysmally low earnings i.e., the place possibilities of mismanagement are distant. This would present that the Respondents have been indiscriminately taking management of a number of temples with none legitimate purpose and in full violation of the legislation,” the petition learn.

Senior Advocate CS Vaidyanathan, counsel for the petitioner, asserted that the EOs diverted temple money generated by spiritual donations from worshipers for his or her wages and different non-religious makes use of. He additional added that there had been no recognized incident within the previous 70 years the place the Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowments Department has returned a temple to the trustee or the group concerned after taking on temple administration.

It is reported that there are 36,627 temples, 57 temples affiliated with the Holy Mutts, and 17 temples affiliated with Jains. 88.22% of those temples are underneath the authority of the HR&CE Department and have an annual earnings of lower than Rs. 10,000.

The petition requested that the State of Tamil Nadu acknowledge all Executive Officers who’re serving with out reputable appointment orders, who had been nominated with out legitimate causes, or who had been employed underneath Sections 43-A or 45 of the Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Act, 1959, previous to the implementation of the Conditions for Appointment of Executive Officers Rules, 2015.