The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Coimbatore News : Retrieve temple properties: Minister

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Wednesday, Jul 30, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Coimbatore

Retrieve temple properties: Minister

Staff Reporter

He tells officials to maintain records relating to temples

— Photo: K. Ananthan

TAKING STOCK: Minister for Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments K.R.Periyakaruppan (second right) having a word with HR and CE Special Commissioner T. Pichandy (second left) at the regional review meeting of the department in the city on Tuesday.

Coimbatore: Minister for Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments K.R. Periyakaruppan on Tuesday directed officials to retrieve temple properties.

He was presiding over a meeting to review the performance of the HR&CE Department in Coimbatore, Erode and the Nilgiris districts along with Commissioner for HR&CE T. Pichandy and Joint Commissioners K.K. Raja, Haripriya and M. Ashok.

Mr. Periyakaruppan asked the officials to improve the conditions and amenities in temples. They should ensure proper maintenance of records relating to temples, especially title deeds of properties, which had been usurped by encroachers who had not been paying the lease rent.

Rent revenue

An action plan had to be evolved for realising the lease rent revenue. Across the State, 21,000 families had either usurped or encroached upon temple properties and were not paying even rent to temples, he said.

The Minister said that efforts had been taken to ensure that kumbabishegams were performed to all the temples once in 12 years after taking up complete renovation. A sum of Rs.9.87 crore had been allocated for 48 historically important temples to protect and preserve them. For temples that find a mention in the ancient literature a sum of Rs.3.25 crore had been set aside.

During the last regime, only 17 temples got golden chariot. During the present regime already golden chariot works had been completed in eight temples while works were under way for 14 more temples. Of the 962 temples with wooden cars, 300 temples had been given Rs.10 crore as special fund for renovating them.

In the last two years, the government had spent over Rs.157 crore for renovation and upkeep of temples, he said.

The Minister inspected the renovation works at Karamadai Aranganathar Temple and participated in the Kundam festival at Bannari Amman Temple.

He also gave instructions to the officials for stepping up security at temples in the wake of terror attacks in other parts of the country.

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