Today, On 11th December, The Supreme Court directed the Tamil Nadu government to provide details of the steps taken to appoint trustee committees for temples across the state. This directive follows the state’s submission that it has invited applications for trustee appointments from 31,000 temples. The court emphasized the importance of transparency and accountability in managing temple affairs.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court directed the Tamil Nadu government to clarify its proposed actions regarding the establishment of the “Arangavalar Committee,” which serves as a trustee committee for all Hindu temples in the state.
A bench comprising Justices M M Sundresh and Aravind Kumar instructed,
“File an affidavit outlining what you (the state government) plan to do,”
This directive followed the Tamil Nadu government’s report to the court that it had solicited applications for trustee committees from 31,000 temples, with such panels appointed for over 7,500 temples so far, as many had yet to respond.
The bench allowed the state government four weeks to submit the affidavit and scheduled the petitioner “Hindu Dharma Parishad” case for a hearing in February 2025.
The state government’s counsel noted that very few individuals had come forward for appointment to the temple trusts despite advertisements. In contrast, the petitioner’s counsel claimed that approximately 40,000 temples exist in the state, with many older ones suffering from neglect and damage.
He argued that at least 10 percent of the offerings made by devotees should be allocated for temple maintenance.
The bench was reviewing an appeal by the petitioner against a December 9, 2021, judgment by the Madras High Court, where Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana dismissed the request for the establishment of the Arangavalar Committee for all Hindu temples. The high court petition sought to include a retired judge, a social activist, a devotee, a member from a scheduled caste, and a woman in these committees to oversee temple operations.
The petitioners contended that numerous temples in the state were inadequately maintained and had sustained damage over time. To remedy this, the petition proposed a trustee committee with diverse representation, submitting their request to the state government on November 10, 2021.
The state government opposed the petition, arguing that the Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Act of 1959 already provided for the appointment of trustees for temple management.
According to Section 47(1)(c) of the Act, the Board of Trustees must consist of at least three and no more than five members, ensuring mandatory representation for scheduled castes or scheduled tribes and women. The high court concluded that further adjudication was unnecessary, as the petitioner’s requests were already addressed by the statutory provisions of the Tamil Nadu HR&CE Act.