CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Wednesday refused to grant an interim stay on appointment of workers by executive officers or officers on deputation to temples administered by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department. “... an injunction in such regard may be counter-productive since that may impede in the manner of administration of large temple complexes under the control of the department and the regular running of such temples,” the first bench of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice PD Audikesavalu said in an order, while hearing a petition by TR Ramesh in this regard.
The bench added the land and assets of temples across the State have been in jeopardy for some time and any injunction may be an excuse to explain how temple land gets encroached upon and temple properties get stolen. It is imperative that trustees be appointed as expeditiously as possible, for the trustees to decide the personnel to be engaged, whether temporarily or on permanent basis at temple complexes, the bench further sated. The matter was posted to December 15.
Earlier, Advocate General R Shanmugasundaram had informed the court that advertisements were issued to form district-level committees, which would, in turn, appoint trustees, and the committees would be formed within four weeks.