18:25] Sekarreporter 1: PIL seeking aid for temple employees in Madras high court – http://toi.in/_rSbia/a31gj The Madras high court has ordered notice to the state government on a PIL seeking to provide Covid-19 financial assistance to skilled and semi-skilled workers of 44,121 temples under the administration of the Hindu religious and charitable endowments department, including priests. Admitting the plea moved by R R Gopaljee, publisher of a Tamil daily, a division bench of Justice R Subbiah and Justice Krishnan Ramaswamy has directed the state to file its response in two weeks.
[7/5, 18:25] Sekarreporter 1: PIL seeking aid for temple employees in Madras high court – http://toi.in/_rSbia/a31gj
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[7/5, 18:25] Sekarreporter 1: APPCOVID-19
CITY
PIL seeking aid for temple employees in Madras high court
TNN | Jul 5, 2020, 14:45 IST
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Madras high court (File photo)
CHENNAI: The Madras high court has ordered notice to the state government on a PIL seeking to provide Covid-19 financial assistance to skilled and semi-skilled workers of 44,121 temples under the administration of the Hindu religious and charitable endowments department, including priests.
Admitting the plea moved by R R Gopaljee, publisher of a Tamil daily, a division bench of Justice R Subbiah and Justice Krishnan Ramaswamy has directed the state to file its response in two weeks.
According to the petitioner, about 35% of the revenues received from these temples are spent towards salary, 35% towards maintenance, and the remaining 30% are maintained as surplus funds.
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“Currently, HR&CE holds over Rs 300 surplus funds of these temples. This fund can be utilised for providing financial assistance for the priests and other workers who are still engaged in their duties of performing pujas and temple maintenance,” the petitioner said.
In this connection, the petitioner on May 20 made a representation to the HR&CE to provide Rs 15,000 per month for the skilled and semi-skilled workers like priests and Rs 7,500 a month for unskilled workers who take care of the maintenance work. Since the authorities have failed to respond to the representation, the petitioner has movd the present plea.
