HR and CE makes to top 5 department in getting Stalin's attention

The low profile HR and CE Department is now making headlines, thanks to the strong campaign by the right-wing leaders stating that Chief Minister MK Stalin-led DMK government is against the sentiments of Hindus and ignores the department.

On the other side, the political drama by the BJP and saffron parties has made the department a blue-eyed boy for the government, grabbing the attention and time of atheist Chief Minister Stalin. The situation is such that the officials attached to the temples are now running from pillar to posts to make a difference and are often spotted at Secretariat seeking favours and obligations to make the temples better place for devotees and had intensified brand-building exercises. New colleges, medical facilities and prasadham eat-outs have mushroomed on temple lands.

Going by the official records and the number of government orders issued in the past nine months, the HR and CE Department led by Minister PK Sekar Babu had emerged in top five positions. “When it comes to the movement of files and grabbing the attention of Chief Ministers’ office, HR&CE Ministry is now rubbing shoulders with high profile departments like Public Works Department, Local Administration, Health, Electricity and Revenue,” said a highly placed official source.

“Minister Sekar Babu made 121 announcements last year in the Assembly, of this orders, have been passed for 104 announcements. Four arts and science colleges have been opened by HR&CE Department at Kolathur, Ottanchathiram, Tiruchendur and Tiruchengodu. Seven schemes, including the renovation of prominent temples at a cost of more than Rs 300 crore is continued for next year and the preparation of a detailed project report is underway. Only 10 announcements are kept in balance and two more months are left for the fiscal to end,” said another official source. The Department had also reached out to the devotees seeking information related to the campaign by the BJP’s youth wing leader Vinoj P Selvam who is also booked by the police for alleging that 130 temples were destroyed in 200 days of the DMK regime.

When DT Next spoke to HR & CE officials, they said that none of the temples registered with HR & CE or established ones had been demolished. “In fact, we have reached out to the stakeholders seeking information, but nothing concrete has come out till now, ” said a senior official.

The paper also spoke to Vinoj Selvam, who maintained that small temples are facing threats from contractors taking up development projects. Selvam said that the list of temples is under preparation and would soon be shared with public.