Party affiliation figures in application for trustee post: HR&CE

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department informed the Madras High Court that it had included the question to know the political background of candidates who are applying for the temples’ trustee position.

The State made this submission before a special division bench comprising Justices R Mahadevan and PD Audikesavalu.

The bench was hearing a batch of petitions regarding the temples managed by the HR&CE.

According to the department, as per the direction of the Madras HC, the HR&CE had included the query to know the political affiliation of candidates who have been added to the applications for the post of temple trustees. “The applications have been notified in newspapers and steps have been taken to release the same on the internet,” the HR&CE submitted.

The government advocate also submitted that district-level selection committees have been formed in 10 districts to execute the process of trustees’ appointment.

Recording the submissions, the judges directed the department to form the committee for appointing trustees in the remaining 29 districts. It further asked the department to notify the application details on the websites within February 8 and adjourned the case to the same date.