HR and CE Dept. has no jurisdiction to call for records: Pothu Dikshithars

The Pothu Dikshithars, hereditary custodians-cum-archakas of Sri Sabanayagar temple, popularly often known as Sri Natarajar temple in Chidambaram have referred to as upon the Hindu Non secular and Charitable Endowments (HR and CE) Division to drop the proposed inspection of the temple on June 7 and eight contending that the authorities had no jurisdiction to name for data or make an inspection within the denominational temple at will.

In an in depth reply to C. Jothi, Deputy Commissioner-cum-Verification Officer of HR and CE Division in Cuddalore, Hemasabesa Dikshithar, secretary of the Pothu Dikshithars committee contended that the HR and CE Division had no jurisdiction of administration on this temple and that is fortified by Part 107 of the Tamil Nadu HR and CE Act, 1959.

Referring to the Division’s letter looking for particulars of earnings/expenditure data, the committee of Pothu Dikshithars requested the authorities to specify any specific transaction or restricted interval for which particulars are required and state the explanations for looking for such particulars.

The temple has no landed properties, together with Kattalai lands beneath its administration and the Kattalai lands are being administered by the Particular Tahsildar — temple lands as ordered by the federal government via a G.O., the committee stated in its reply.

The committee argued the provisions of Sections 29, 30, and 31 referring to the upkeep of sure registers wouldn’t apply to this temple. Nevertheless, obligatory registers are maintained by this temple administration and entries concerning properties are recorded in a correct method, it claimed..

The committee claimed that the first registers that should be maintained beneath Part 29 of the TN HR and CE Act, 1959 or beneath part 25 of the Madras HR and CE Act, 1951, or beneath part 38 of the Madras Non secular Endowments Act, 1926, have completely vanished from varied different temples which are beneath the executive management of the Division. The obligatory follow of recording and sustaining registers beneath Sections 30 and 31 of the TN HR and CE Act, 1959 is totally absent within the temples administered by the division for greater than 4 many years, the committee stated in its reply.

On the plea looking for an estimate report of jewels and valuables, the committee stated that the Division was but to furnish the report of verification of jewels carried out within the temple earlier than 2006. The Division ought to submit the verification report at the very least now in order that we are able to undergo it. Solely thereafter, can a recent verification happen, the committee stated.

“It’s our intention to provide full cooperation to a validly fashioned committee that has jurisdiction of verification and audit. As per Part 107 of the 1959 Act learn with judicial orders, it’s amply clear that the HR and CE Division or its authorities shouldn’t have such a jurisdiction to routinely name for data or make an inspection on this denominational temple at will,” the committee stated.

Due to this fact, the Division ought to drop the supposed inspection and calling of data in adherence to the orders of the Madras Excessive Court docket and the Apex court docket, the committee added.