BENGALURU: “Archakas (priests) in rural areas are facing atrocities and harassment from various political parties. Governor Thaawar Chand Gehlot is not signing the Bill on constructing religious community buildings. The Minister for Hindu Religious Institutions & Charitable Endowments Department, Ramalinga Reddy, had a good scheme to provide housing for archakars, but it is still pending. The governor is delaying the Bill”, alleged Prof K R Radhakrishna, president of the Akhila Karnataka Hindu Temple Archakas, Agamikas and Upadivanths Federation.
Speaking at a press conference, he further claimed that the governor is withholding the Muzrai amendment Bill, which was passed by both Houses of the legislature. The bill aims to utilize a proportionate amount of excess income from rich temples (A and B category) for the development of rural temples (C category).
The Bill has been awaiting the governor’s assent for the past 10 years. Despite multiple meetings with the governor, the Bill is being neglected. The amendment also includes provisions to protect temple lands from encroachment, but the governor’s delay is hindering its implementation, the federation said.
There are 36,000 C-category temples in the state. The governor is not signing the Bill that proposes using 10 per cent of the income from rich A- and B-category temples for the development of C-category temples. The governor has withheld bills related to poor Hindu temples, despite all parties agreeing on the bill, it said.
“About one lakh acres of land belonging to Muzrai temples have been encroached upon by other people. We are demanding the formation of an executive committee under the chairmanship of a High Court judge to retrieve these valuable lands”, Radhakrishna said.
“Priests should be provided with health cards. An archaka in Hassan took his own life, and different political parties are fighting over the issue, with one party demanding a memorial and another party demanding its removal. With the rising cost of living, priests are demanding Rs 5,000 per month for puja materials expenses. The federation is constrained to seek fulfilment of these demands”, he said.
