Need to find out alternative system for maintenance of temples

Rajamahendravaram: Minister for Endowments Pydikondala Manikyala Rao has underlined the need to find out an alternative system with autonomous status for the maintenance and supervision of temples.

Speaking to The Hans India here on Friday, he said there is a need to bring out the temples from government control. The autonomous bodies should be accountable towards devotees, he added. Moreover, the autonomous bodies can prevent the encroachment of temple properties, he opined.

In a secular State, how far it is justifiable to run the temples under government control, he questioned? Though the temples under government control are functioning well it is inevitable to bail them out from government control.

Except in South India, temples are functioning under autonomous organisations but they are not providing facilities and there is no accountability. “As a Minister I am also having many pressures from many quarters relating to various aspects,” he said. “There is no government involvement in the maintenance of mosques and churches why we cannot implement the same to Hindu temples,” he wondered.

All India Service officers work as per wishes of the government, but when they are shifted to Cnstitutional bodies such as Election Commission, CAG etc they will work on their own as per Constitution. “There is a need to conduct a wide debate and we are inviting suggestions in this regard,” he said.

Meanwhile, plans are afoot to introduce Aadhaar based darshan and Arjitha Sevas of Lord Sri Venkateswara Swamy on Tirumala, to provide darshan to the people who did not have darshan of the Lord so far.

Many devotees are returning without darshan of the Lord and on an average at about 80,000 to 90,000 devotees throng the hill sacred shrine every day. Based on Aadhaar card, first preference will be given to the devotees who did not have darshan of the Lord so far and even once in a year.