|
|
|
|
Tamil Development, Culture and Religious Endowments Department Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Administration Department POLICY NOTE 2004 - 2005 Demand No. 45
Introduction: The proper maintenance and supervision of the temple management and administration of their endowments has been one of the primary responsibilities of the State. Number of measures have been undertaken prior to the year 1925 for an efficient control and supervision of the administration of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments . By the Act 1 of 1925, the Government constituted the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Board consisting of a President and two to four Commissioners, as nominated by the Government to function as a statutory body. Subsequently, Act 1 of 1925 was repealed by the Act 2 of 1927 which was followed by several modifications up to 1951. In order to streamline the administration of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Board, Thiru. R.V. Krishna Iyer was appointed as the Special Officer in the year 1940. The Special Officer recommended that the Government might administer the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments instead of the Board. The non-official committee appointed in the year 1942 under the Chairmanship of Thiru P. Venkataramana Rao Naidu, a Retired Judge of the High Court of Judicature, Madras, recommended, among other things that it would be advantageous to convert Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Board into a Government Administration. Accepting this recommendation, the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Act,1951 was enacted provincialising the administration of the Hindu Religious Institutions. Comprehensive amendments were made to this Act and Tamilnadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Act XXII of 1959 came into force with effect from the 1st January 1960. ii) With a view to manage the administration of Hindu Religious Charitable Endowments in an excellent manner, it was considered during 1991, that Religious and Spiritual Leaders were to be inducted for the proper maintenance and administration of the Hindu and Jain Temples, the Charitable Endowments and that their suggestions and guidance should be obtained for the better administration of the Charitable Endowments. Accordingly, many Amendments were made to the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Act, 22 of 1959. iii) As a result of this, the Amendment Act, 1991 (Amendment Act 46/91) was enacted. As per the amended Act, a two tier system (i.e.) Temple Administration Board at the State level and District Committees at the Districts level was established. This Amendment Act came into force on 13-12-1991. iv) The Government which came to power during 1996, enacted the Amendment Act, of 1996 (Tamil Nadu Amendment Act 39/1996), disbanding the Temple Administration Board and District Committees and entrusted the administration of Hindu Religious Institutions with the Commissioner and the Subordinate Officers back as it existed prior to the Amendment Act, 1991 This Act is in force since 9-12-1996. 1. Number of Institutions: The Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Administration Department supervises the administrations of Hindu and Jain Religious Institutions and Hindu Charitable Endowments in Tamilnadu as detailed below:
2. Classification of Institutions: The 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., One Officer on Special Duty (in the cadre of an I.A.S) One Additional Commissioner. One Joint Commissioner ( Head Quarters). One Joint Commissioner ( Tiruppani). Two Personal Assistants to Commissioner in the cadre of Assistant Commissioner. One Assistant Commissioner ( Legal). One Assistant Commissioner ( Verification ) Head Quarters who is also acting as the special officer for Annadhanam scheme The Government have appointed a high level committee to render suggestions for the development of the temple lands and to augment the income from them. An officer in the cadre of I.A.S. has been appointed to organize the above committee works and to improve the income from temple lands. A special officer in the cadre of a District Revenue officer is also working to assist him. Besides this, four special Thasildhars are also appointed to assist him. Apart from this, another special thasildhar is also appointed to investigate the lands belonging to Arulmigu Sabanayagar Thirukkoil, Chidhambaram. In 2002 the Government appointed a Advisory Committee to regulate the Renovation works and to speed up the performance of kumbabishegam in Temples. An officer in the cadre of the Joint Commissioner (Thiruppani) has also been appointed to execute the suggestions of the committee and to take proper action. (B) At the Regional and Divisional levels there are 10 Joint Commissioners and 22 Territorial Assistant Commissioners. Besides, there are One Assistant Commissioner for the Icon Centre at Thiruvarur, 9 Assistant Commissioners ( Verification) and One Deputy Commissioner ( Verification) and 629 Executive Officers-right from the cadre of Joint Commissioner/Executive Officer to the Executive Officer Grade IV assisting to implement the provisions of the Act and the Rules framed there under. Besides this, two Personal Assistants in the Cadre of Deputy Commissioner and Assistant Commissioner are assisting the Joint Commissioner/Executive Officer of Arulmigu Dhandayudthapani swamy Temple, Palani. (C) The Assistant Commissioners (Verification) complemented by the Technical staff, appraise and evaluate the jewels and other valuables belonging to Religious Institutions. (D) A Superintending Engineer and one Executive Engineer with the required subordinates, technical Officers and Staff are also assisting the Commissioner in preparation of estimates and supervision of Thiruppani and other construction works of the Religious Institutions. (E) A Senior Accounts Officer and an Assistant Accounts Officer deputed from the Treasuries and Accounts Service are in-charge of the Budget and Accounts of the Department. (F) For Auditing the accounts of the Religious Institutions, there is a Chief Audit Officer deputed from the Finance Department of the Government in the cadre of Deputy Secretary assisted by sufficient subordinate Staff. (G) In February 1996, women Assistant Commissioners have been appointed by direct recruitment through the Tamilnadu public service commission for the first time. In pursuance of the judgment of The Honourable High court, Madras in W.P.21823/2001 dated 5.6.2002 and the policy decision taken by the Government, Service Rules had been amended to admit appointment of women as the executive officers in temples. As per this amendment one woman in the cadre of Assistant commissioner and three women in the cadre of Deputy Commissioners were appointed as Executive Officers in temples. Further out of 25 women Executive Officers, recruited by TamilNadu Public Service Commission, there are 23 persons working successfully at temples. (H) The entire Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment Administration Department at the state level is divided into 10 Regions, and 22 Divisions and each under the jurisdiction of a Joint Commissioner and Assistant Commissioner respectively, as detailed below:
(I) Thus the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Administration Department totally consists of 2356 staff members under 52 categories including the Commissioner. 4. Administration of Religious Institutions and Endowments: Temples are grouped according to their importance, income and properties owned. Executive Officers have been appointed to temples in the categories of Joint Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner, Assistant Commissioner and Executive Officers Grade – I to IV. The sanctioned strength in each category is as follows:
5. Administration of Mutts: Mutts are being governed by "Atheenakarthars". In Tamilnadu at present there are 56 Mutts and 19 Specific Endowments attached to them. In order to tone up and streamline the Administration of Mutts and also to scrutinize and sanction their Budgets, a wing consisting of Regional Audit Officer and other staff headed by Joint Commissioner (Head Quarters) is functioning. An Amendment has been made during 2003 to section 6(18). According to this Amendment, Samadhi, Brindavanam and such like institutions are also included as Religious institutions 6. Appointment of Trustees : (a) Trustees are appointed to the temples and other Religious Institutions in accordance with the provisions of the Act and are permitted to carry out the administration. Out of them, some Religious Institutions are administered by Hereditary Trustees and some are administered by particular communities on the basis of administrative schemes. (b) Non-hereditary Trustees cannot be appointed for 8633 institutions including kattalais which are managed by the Hereditary Trustees and Mutts managed by the Madathipathis and Institutions where cases are pending regarding the Administration. Besides these, there are 29,770 temples for which Trustees can be appointed. The details regarding the appointment of Trustees for these temples are as follows:-
(c) Each Revenue District has a District Committee consisting of one ex-officio convenor (Assistant Commissioner) and five non-official members. The District Committee is empowered to prepare the panel of names for the appointment of Non-hereditary trustees for the Non-Listed temples and temples which are listed under 46 (i) and (ii) of the Act. The appointing authority is empowered to appoint three trustees in these cases. The Government is empowered to appoint trustees for temples which are published under section 46 (iii) of the Act. The Government may also nominate two trustees for all categories of temples.
|
| |||||||
