CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has ordered maintaining status quo in the case pertaining to recruitment of ‘archakas’ in temples.The issue pertains to All India Adi Saiva Sivacharyargal Seva Sangam, in T Nagar, moving a plea seeking the court to quash the advertisements issued on July 6 this year inviting applications for the posts of archakas, odhuvars and paricharakar in the State. It was proposed to appoint people holding certificate courses as Archakas.
The petitioner also claimed that the State government is time and again being vindictive towards the members of the petitioner sangam and similar organisations, which testified their malafide intention. The order is tantamount to a direct assault on the rights of the members of the sangam and others. The authorities have failed to see that the purport of Sec. 55 of the HRIE Act, cannot be diluted. They have failed to see that the power to appoint Archakas cannot be relegated or assigned to persons, who do not know the Agamas or functioning of temples, they added.
Justice Dr Anita Sumanth granted an interim stay on August 5 and said, “The last date for receipt of applications is August 7. Status-quo be maintained thereafter, until further orders.” The judge then adjourned the plea to August 25 with a direction to the authorities concerned to circulate the Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious Institutions Employees (Conditions of Service) Rules, 2020 to the other parties.
‘Need to know Agamas’
The authorities have failed to see that the power to appoint archakas cannot be relegated or assigned to persons, who do not know the Agamas, the petitioner said
Interim stay
Justice Dr Anita Sumanth granted an interim stay on August 5 and said, “The last date for receipt of applications is August 7. Status-quo be maintained thereafter, until further orders”