Appointment of an Executive Officer by the State Government is illegal : Madras High Court

Court slams temple for negligence in appointing trust committee

In addition, the Court should punish the concerned culprits so that not only in Tamil Nadu, but anywhere else in the country, the Government would think twice before intervening in Hindu temples.
Considering that ‘Government take-over of temples means an invitation to corruption’, Hindus must oppose the Government take-over of temples in an organised and legitimate way.

Chennai – Palani Temple is the highest-earning temple in Tamil Nadu. The State Government has appointed an Executive Officer in 2011. Against that, a former officer of a bank and devout Hindu Mr. T.R. Ramesh had filed the petition in the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court. The High Court recently ruled on the petition, saying the appointment of an Executive Officer by the Government to the temple was illegal. The High Court slammed the State Government for neglecting to appoint a Committee of Trustees for nine years.

The petition was filed after the temple’s Executive Officer floated a tender to maintain cleanliness in the temple premises. Mr. T.R. Ramesh in the petition submitted that the temple’s Trustee Committee resigned in 2011 and the State Government had appointed an Executive Officer instead of appointing a new trustee committee. In doing so, the purpose was to keep the temple running smoothly every day; however, this Executive Officer himself began to assert the authority of the Board of Trustees. It was challenged in the petition.
In ruling on the petition, Justice G.R. Swaminathan said that the decision of the State Government to appoint an Executive Officer instead of appointing a Committee of Trustees for the last nine years was against the provisions of the Constitution. This time, the High Court, citing the Supreme Court’s decision in the ‘Wadhava’ case, said, “The State Government has the right to manage the temples only if there is some mismanagement and only for a short period.”
‘This decision is a relief to all the temples in the country. Petitioner Shri. T.R. Ramesh deserves congratulations’, tweeted senior BJP leader Dr. Subramanian Swamy.