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Madras High Court quashes Tamil Nadu Government Project funded by Rs 40 Crore from Kallajhagar Temple

Chennai (Tamil Nadu): The Madras High Court has set aside a decision of the DMK-led Tamil Nadu Government to utilise the accumulated and surplus funds of the historic Kallajhagar Temple for commercial development. The proposed project included the construction of restaurants, shops, residential complexes, and other business-oriented facilities. The Court held that the decision was legally unsustainable and struck it down. An estimated Rs 40 crore from the Temple’s funds had been earmarked for the initiative.

The High Court made it clear that Temple funds are to be used strictly for religious and related purposes. The Bench stated that diverting such funds for commercial infrastructure violated both the religious purpose of the institution and the provisions of the Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Act.

The Court further noted that the Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department had treated the Temple’s resources as State assets by allocating them for commercial use. It also pointed out procedural irregularities, observing that the authorities had neither obtained approval from the Temple’s board of Trustees nor followed the mandated budgetary procedures before planning the expenditure.

Editorial Perspective

The Court’s ruling is expected to prompt Hindu organisations to urge Governments nationwide to ensure that funds from State-administered temples are used exclusively for Hindu religious purposes rather than for ‘secular’ welfare schemes.

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