Hindu Religious And Charitable  Endowments Administration  Department

POLICY NOTE - 2003 - 2004

Demand No. 45

Introduction:

Similarly the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Administration Department considers that the maintenance of temples as its first and foremost duty keeping the greatness of temples in mind and carries out its functions accordingly.

The temples of Tamil Nadu not only  serve as places of worship to develop moral rectitude and spiritual awareness but also introduce to the new generations our glorious and hoary cultural heritage and function as institutions for development of music, art, painting, sculpture and architecture and thus endeavour to safeguard the righteousness of society.

Apart from protecting and administering the properties of these temples and possession of other charitable endowments, the department ensures that the Agama prescriptions and traditional practices are observed in the ritual worship and the needs and comforts of devotees are fully attended to.

so say a verse in Puranaanooru.  This department is providing annadhaanam to the devotees.

In this fashion, this department designs appropriate schemes for the preservation and maintenance of Hindu Religious Institutions and endowments which serve Tamil society as the farm of spiritual sensibility as the symbol of civilisation as a receptacle of history and as a garden of literature and arts and executes them with devotion.

1. Details of Religious Institutions:

The Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Administration Department supervises  the  administration  of  Hindu and Jain Religious Institutions and Hindu Charitable  Endowments in Tamilnadu  as detailed below:

2. Classification of  Religious Institutions:

 Religious  Institutions  have been classified into two categories  viz., Non – Listed and Listed Institutions on the basis of their annual income as below:

3. Organisational set up:

(A) The Head of the Department is the Commissioner.  He is responsible for the General Administration and supervision of the activities of the Department.  He is assisted by the following officials in the Head Quarters  viz., 

1. 1.      One Additional Commissioner
   2.      One Joint Commissioner ( Head Quarters)
   3.      One Personal Assistant to Commissioner  in the cadre of Assistant Commissioner and one Additional Personal Assistant in the cadre of Assistant Commissioner.
   4.      One Assistant Commissioner ( Legal)
   5.      One Assistant Commissioner ( Verification ) Head Quarters.  He is also acting as special officer for Annadhaanam scheme

The Government have appointed a high level committee to give  constructive suggestions for the maintenance and administration of immovable properties belonging to the temples and  arrange ways and means to augment the income from  them.  An officer on Special Duty in the cadre of I.A.S. has been appointed to co-ordinate these works.  He is assisted by a  Special Officer in the cadre of District Revenue Officer. Besides,  four Special Tahsildars also assist him.  Apart from requisite staff a Special Tahsildar has also been appointed to identify the lands belonging to Arulmighu Sabanayagar temple, Chidhambaram.

Besides, in 2002 the Government have appointed an Advisory Committee to  speed up action and  to regulate, supervise and advise on the Renovation  and performance of Kumbabhishegam in Temples. An officer in the cadre of Joint Commissioner (Thiruppani)  has also  been appointed to supervise the renovation works and to coordinate the works of the Advisory Committee.

(B)  At  the Regional and Divisional levels there are 10 Joint Commissioners and 22 territorial Assistant Commissioners respectively.  Besides, there are one Assistant Commissioner in the Icon Center at Thiruvarur and  9 Assistant Commissioners ( Verification) and  One Deputy Commissioner  ( Verification) and  629  Executive Officers  in the cadre from that of Joint Commissioner/Executive Officer to Executive Officer Grade IV  to  implement the provisions of the Act and the Rules framed thereunder.  Besides them one Deputy Commissioner and one Personal Assistant in the Cadre of Assistant Commissioner are assisting the Joint Commissioner/ Executive Officer of Arulmigu Dhandayuthapaniswamy Temple, Palani.

(C)  The Assistant Commissioners (Verification) with their   complement  of technical staff appraise and evaluate the jewels and other valuables like gold, silver and precious stones etc., belonging  to Religious  Institutions.

(D) A Superintending Engineer and one Executive Engineer with necessary Technical Officers and Staff are also assisting  the Commissioner in preparation of estimates and in the supervision of Thiruppani and other construction works of the religious institutions.

(E)  A Senior Accounts Officer and an Assistant Accounts Officer drafted from the Treasuries and Accounts Department  are in-charge of the Budget and Accounts .

(F)  The  accounts of the religious institutions are audited by a Chief Audit Officer  deputed  from the Government in Finance Department.  He is  assisted by sufficient subordinate  Staff. 

 (G) The entire Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Administration Department at the state level is divided into 10 regions, each under the jurisdiction of a Joint Commissioner and 22 divisions, each  under the jurisdiction of an Assistant  Commissioner as detailed below:

(H) The Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Administration Department consists of 2356 staff members in 52 categories including the Commissioner.