CHENNAI: HR&CE minister PK Sekarbabu on Friday thanked the Supreme Court for dismissing the petition against giving the land belonging to the Somanathaswami temple in Kolathur for constructing a new building for the Kapaleeswarar Arts and Science College in that area on a 25-year lease.
The petition filed by T R Ramesh was earlier dismissed by the Madras High Court, and Ramesh challenged this before the SC. On Friday, the SC Judges Vikranath and Sandeep Mehta said there is nothing wrong in running a college through HR and CE Temple and dismissed the petition.
Addressing a press conference here, the minister said that after the DMK government assumed office, as of Friday, as many as 3,503 temples have been consecrated. “This is a big achievement in the history of the HR&CE department. The number of temples consecrated will go up to 4,000 by January 2026,” the minister said, adding that on Friday alone, 51 temples in various parts of the state have been consecrated.
Sekarbabu said so far, during the past four years, the department has conducted 2,537 marriages free of cost for the poor.
Besides, to date, the department has retrieved 7,923 acres of temple lands worth Rs 7,846.62 crore, belonging to 1,206 temples.
The minister also said that so far, Thiruppanigal (renovation works) have been undertaken at a huge cost of Rs 3,840 crore.