HC seeks report on misuse of temple properties, funds

The court is set to hear a batch of pleas from September 24 to October 1 in this regard.

A division bench comprising Justice MM Sundresh and Justice R Hemalatha sought for the report after finding out that the department was yet to file the details though another division bench had asked it to be filed by January. The bench was hearing a batch of pleas alleging mismanagement of temple funds and properties.

During the hearing, petitioners contended that the rules enacted as part of the HR&CE Act were not being followed, due to which temple funds and lands worth crores were being usurped. Funds were used for non-temple activities like purchasing vehicles for Ministers and officials, and even on fuel for these vehicles, the petitioners charged.

One of the petitioner, Rangarajan Narasimhan of Srirangam who moved pleas relating to idol thefts and misuse of funds, submitted that HR&CE officials were diverting temple funds worth 10 crore from bigger temples to financially unstable village temples that are under the control of the department. Even while conceding with the bench’s observation that it was laudable to ensure that temples with less funds could benefit through this, he said the process adopted was arbitrary as it has not been done as per the HR&CE Act.

Appearing for Indian Collective Trust, advocate Niranjan Rajagopalan alleged that wielding the powers vested with it to remove encroachments, the department played into the hands of the encroachers by simply resorting to filing suits. This only allowed the encroachers to enjoy the properties for longer period.

The report sought by the earlier bench comprising Justice M Sathayanarayana and Justice N Seshasayee pertained to the number of temples administered by HR&CE department, parcel of lands it owned along with survey numbers, details of encroachment on such lands, and action taken against officials who aided such encroachments.

The bench had sought for the report while staying a Government Order issued on August 30 last year that sought to regularise non-objectionable temple land encroached by squatters for more than five years.