DINDIGUL: Former Inspector General of Police AG Ponn Manickavel alleged that the Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowments Department (HR&CE) is dividing workers into two sections, while one is categorised as HR&CE staff, others are pinned under the category of temple workers.
Speaking to mediapersons, he said, "The present HR&CE Department is worse than the erstwhile British Government. Workers who carry out all the integral activities in the temple are seen as untouchables by the HR&CE Department. This is injustice of the worst kind. For instance, in the 1000-year-old Pulla Mankai temple in Tanjore, built during the reign of Aditya I, the temple priest only gets a salary of Rs 300 per month."
"The workers in the temple should be declared as the primary staff of the HR&CE department, while other employees, including the commissioner, should be categorised as secondary grade staff. One must remember that activities of the temple can be carried out without the HR&CE department. However, the temple cannot run without priests and sanitary workers," the former IG said.
"Under the guise of renovation ('Thirupani') works in Abirami Amman temple at Dindigul Fort between 2013 and 2016, they have made several grave mistakes. The painting works in the temple are wrong and it misses giant pillars. In temples over 100 years old, rehabilitation(conservation) should be carried out. Nobody, including the trustee of the temple, can legally carry out the conservation works. Even the executive officer or joint commissioner of the HR&CE department cannot carry out these works, only the State Archaeological Department and Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) are eligible to perform it. One must note, that several crores of rupees are involved in the business of 'Thirupani'. Of this amount, around 60 per cent is lost in corruption. So, to get these funds, the HR&CE department is directly bypassing the archaeology department and carrying out the conservation works," Ponn Manickavel said.