On Monday, March 18, the Allahabad High Court raised concerns over delayed payments to temples in Uttar Pradesh, prompting an intervention request from Chief Minister Adityanath. The court emphasized the need for prompt action to ensure timely disbursement of dues owed to the temples by the state government.
UTTAR PRADESH: On Monday, March 18 : The Allahabad High Court expressed concern over delays in paying dues to temples and trusts in Uttar Pradesh.
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Judge Rohit Ranjan Agarwal directed the matter to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for action. The court also called the Secretary of UP’s Board of Revenue to explain why annuities had not been paid to nine temples in Vrindavan for four years.
The hearing is scheduled for March 20, with Advocate Devansh Misra representing the petitioner and Chief Standing Counsel Dr. Rajeshwar Tripathi representing the state.
“This Court is pained to note that temples and trusts have to knock on the doors of the Court to get their dues released from the State Government, which should have automatically flowed from the Treasury of the State into the account of temples,” it observed.
The court addressed that temples should take legal action to get funds from the state government that should have been easily disbursed from the state Treasury.
“It is not a question of payment for a single year, but the annuity has not been transferred to the temple in question for the last four years,” it remarked.
The matter was initiated after a petition by Thakur Rangji Maharaj Virajman Mandir seeking payment under the UP Zamindari Abolition and Land Reforms Act. The petitioner stated that nine temples were owed Rs 9,125,07 in annuities. The Government argued that only Rs 2,23,199 had been paid, outstanding balance of Rs 6,89,308.
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The court noted that the petitioner’s annuity had been unpaid from 2020 to 2023. It criticized the lack of effort by officials to release the funds, as seen in correspondence between the District Magistrate of Mathura and the UP government.
“Let this order be handed over to learned Chief Standing Counsel Dr. Rajeshwar Tripathi within 24 hours for necessary compliance. Further, the Registrar (Compliance) shall intimate this order through FAX within 24 hours to the Chief Secretary, Government of U.P., who shall place this matter before the Chief Minister for necessary action,” the Court directed.
As a result, the court directed the State Chief Secretary to take immediate action, with instructions to the Chief Standing Counsel to ensure compliance.
Case Title: Thakur Rangji Maharaj Virajman Mandir vs State Of UP And 3 Others
