Modakurichi MLA Dr CK Saraswathi (BJP) demanded leasing/renting out of temple lands and handing over of temple administration to pious persons. Appointment of pious persons as temple trustees and executive officers will check malpractices in temple administration, she added.
In her speech in the Assembly, she wanted training to temple staff in spiritualism, shifting of executive officers offices outside the temple to check entry into temples with chappals or non-veg food into the offices, external audit of temple accounts instead of internal audit, usage of hundial income for development of temples and spiritualism, white paper on temple records, rental dues, property registers, court cases. In all communities, practice of kuladeiyvam worship is existed. In such temples, government intervention should be avoided. When the temples were removed for road expansion or from water courses, alternate places should be earmarked to rebuild the temple.
Though the HRCE department faces problems in maintaining its temples, it should not show interest to take over private lands. She asked why HRCE department lost its 47000 acre temple land and sought details on the steps taken to retrieve it, auctioning of immovable properties, and earnings out of such auction, As the rent for temple lands increased many fold, the tenants approached courts leading to loss of income to the temples. So, she suggested following of GO 456, issued by the then DMK rule in 2007, to help both tenants and temples. All temple festivals, which were withheld due to corona, should be held as per tradition with arranging discourses, and rendering of ancient Tamil literatures to promote spiritualism. In the arts and science colleges, created under HRCE department, yoga, music, silambam, naturopathy should be taught.
She sought permission to devotees to use the government land for pongal festival of Erode Periyamariamman temple in the town during annual Panguni festival as the temple is located in just 400 sq ft only.
Over 2 lakh devotees are attending the festival every year and many of them are using the road only to cook pongal for the deity leading to heavy traffic congestion in the area.
She sought training to children through government music school at the ancient Kodumudi Mahudeswarar temple, construction of parihara mandapam, vehicle parking place outside the temple, a bridge across Cauvery at Pilikalpalayam to promote spiritual tourism in the Kodumudi area, renovation and kumbabishekam for the Nageswarar temple of 18th century at Kolathupalayam in her segment, which was pending for the past 8 years.
She wanted steps to check mixing of sewage water in the temple tank of Varageeswarar temple of ancient Pandiyan era in Modakurichi town Panchayat and pathway to Thirthakumarasamy temple in Nagamalai Hill at Arachalur in her segment to help diffable people move in vehicles.