Staff in 20,204 TN temples to be provided 2-month relief assistance soon, State counsel informs HC

A public interest litigation was filed by R R Gopalji, publisher of the Tiruchi and Vellore editions of the Tamil newspaper 'Dinamalar' seeking the intervention of the Madras High Court. His appeal was that because of the lockdown, temples have been closed down all over Tamil Nadu and hence the government should pay the temple staff relief assistance. According to him, the Endowments department had a surplus fund of Rs 300 crore and out of it, the State government should pay Rs 15000 to the staff including temple priests.

In its response, R Venkatesh, the counsel for the State government, responding to the earlier orders of the Court to present before it a detailed report on the issue, informed that 20, 204 temples are open all across Tamil Nadu, with an annual earning of less than Rs 10,000. This was apart from the bigger temples open in towns and villages. Providing them a 2-month relief assistance is under the consideration of the government, the counsel informed the Court, which deferred the next hearing to August 8.