SHIVAMOGGA : Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has said that the Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowment (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which was defeated by the BJP-JDS in the Legislative Council, will be passed after three months when the Congress gains a majority in the Upper House.
He was addressing a gathering after inaugurating a convention of beneficiaries of the State Government’s five guarantees, organised by the district administration and zilla panchayat, in Shivamogga on Saturday.
Shivakumar said that through the influence of the priests (archakas), devotees find Shiva even in a stone. “We introduced a Bill (Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowment (Amendment) Bill, 2024). The government, through this legislation, wanted to allocate 10% of the income from charity from large temples to pay salaries to priests, provide insurance coverage, and assistance for their children’s education. However, BJP and JDS, which advocate for temples and religion, defeated the Bill in the Council. In three months, we will secure a majority in the Upper House and pass the Bill,” Shivakumar elaborated.
The DyCM emphasised that the government is committed to empowering APMCs and disadvantaged communities and that no one will be able to obstruct it.
Shivakumar asserted that the government will not permit the eviction of the poor from forests. He noted that under the Forest Rights Act, forest rights can be claimed by residents who have primarily lived in forest land for bona fide livelihood needs for 75 years. “Our government will propose a resolution and submit it to the Centre to reduce the requirement from 75 to 25 years and grant forest rights to individuals from all communities,” he added.
He also promised to safeguard the interests of Sharavathi Project evacuees. “Our government is combating poverty, not the poor,” he added.