CHENNAI: Charging the previous DMK regime with prioritising the commercialisation of temple assets for generating revenue over providing basic amenities to devotees, HR&CE Minister S Ramesh told the Tamil Nadu Assembly on Monday that the TVK government had recently cancelled several marriage hall and commercial complex projects initiated during the previous regime. He said many of these projects were also facing legal challenges and were subject to stay orders.
The minister said this in response to the remark of Leader of Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin that the governor’s address stated that the income derived from the movable and immovable properties of the HR&CE department shall be utilised only for its sacred purposes.
“On reading this, we are left wondering whether the TVK government is echoing the BJP’s view that the HR&CE department itself should not exist. This is precisely the stand taken by the BJP and right-wing organisations,” Udhayanidhi said.
The opposition leader added that they have been insisting that the department should not run schools and colleges. He also wondered whether this condition applies only to marriage halls and commercial complexes, or whether it will also apply to educational institutions.
In response, the minister said the government had not blocked any project that benefited the public and did not need to function as a “B team” for anyone. He asserted that the TVK government had neither the necessity nor the intention to use temple funds for commercial purposes at any time.
CPM floor leader R Chellaswamy urged the state to protect the interests of people living and cultivating on temple lands while taking steps to improve the administration of temples under the HR&CE department. He sought clarification on the statement that movable and immovable properties of the temples would be used only for their sacred purposes, even as he welcomed the announcement.