Karnataka Govt proposes to grant autonomy to five temples

Kollur, Karnataka, Aug 24 (UNI) The Karnataka Government proposes to grant autonomy to five major temples in the State on the lines of Tirumala-Tirupathy Devasam Board (TTD) for taking up developmental activities, Minister for Endowment B Nagaraja Shetty said today.

Speaking after inaugurating the Rs 3.85 crore hostel for boys and girls of the school run by Sri Mookambika Temple in this temple town, he said the temples identified were Sri Chamudeshwari Temple in Mysore, Malemahadeshwar temple in Chamarajanagar, Sri Kukke Subramanya temple, Sri Kshetra Subramanya in Daxina Kannada and Sri Mookambika temple here.

Mr Shetty said the process had already started by taking up documentation work for the two temples of Chamudeshwari temple and Malemahadeshwar temples.

The minister said setting up of such autonomous boards would give more freedom to the highest earning temples to take up developmental activities such as providing more infrastructural facilities in the temple, educational activities, health activities and donations to other religious institutions without waiting for government approval.

Mr Shetty said a Committee set up under former Chief Justice Mr Rama Jois to go into the details about the necessary amendment required in the new religious endowment act which had been returned by the Supreme Court asking the state government to make suitable amendment to the act, was finalising the report and expected to submit to the government within next 15 days time.

The Minister said last year, the state government had provided Rs 12 crore for the development of 2800 temples in the state. It was also the government's earnest desire to develop at least one temple in every village in the state on which the government was working seriously.

He called upon every temple having good income to involve actively and spare one portion of its income to the social and developmental activities. Appreciating the efforts of the management of Sri Mookambika temple here in the social activities, he said the temple had submitted a project of Rs 26 crore for drainage and drinking water in the temple.

The temple had been spending Rs 2.3 crore for Swach gram scheme and adopted six schools in and around Kollur, besides providing free mid-day meal to 21 schools, he added.

UNI