HR and CE Told to Appoint Non-hereditary Trustees to Perumal Temple in 6 Weeks

Justice R Sudhakar gave the direction while passing interim orders on a writ petition from Sri Santhana Srinivasa Perumal Public Charitable Trust trustees V Venkateswaran and M R Santhanam, recently.

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has directed the Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowment (HR&CE) to appoint non-hereditary trustees to the Sri Santhana Srinivasa Perumal temple in Mogappair within six weeks without any undue delay.

Justice R Sudhakar gave the direction while passing interim orders on a writ petition from Sri Santhana Srinivasa Perumal Public Charitable Trust trustees V Venkateswaran and M R Santhanam, recently.

According to the petitioners they are the trustees of the Trust, established in 1993, as well as the temple. As part of its various welfare activities the Trust contributed to the development and maintenance of the temple. It constructed the ‘Vimanam’ for the Moolvar in 1997. The land surrounding the temple was purchased, and the Rajagopuram and separate sannidhis for Vinayagar, Anjaneyar and other deities were constructed subsequently. It has purchased more land and constructed a built up area of about 9,000 square feet. It performed kumbabhishekams for the temple in 1997, 2006 and 2009. In view of its development activities and maintenance of the temple the Trust was given the right by the HR&CE to recommend trustees to the temple and a scheme was formulated for this in April 2011.

Then the HR&CE issued an order dated November 25, 2013, appointing a ‘fit’ person to the temple. Hence the present writ petition challenging this order. The interim prayer was to stay its operation.

In its proceedings dated February 9 last, the HR&CE submitted that it was taking steps to fill the office of the non-hereditary trustees to the temple as per the April 2011 scheme.

“Therefore, the department is directed to proceed further in the matter without undue delay and complete the said exercise within a period of six weeks..., the judge said and posted the main case for another day.

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