Bengaluru
Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai on Friday proposed to free temples from government control by giving autonomy to those coming under the Endowment department besides announcing the Cow Adoption Scheme in his maiden budget speech.
The BJP government in the state has already succeeded in passing of the two controversial Act – first the Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Bill, 2020, which is popularly known as Anti-Cow slaughter Ban Act on the lines of Uttar Pradesh on December 2020 and second the Karnataka Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Bill, 2021, that was adopted by the Karnataka Assembly in December 2021 which widely known as the Anti-conversion Act in common parlance. Both of these Acts are seen as part of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s (RSS) agenda.
He added that there is a long pending demand to do away with the government control on the temples. “By considering these demands of devotees, autonomy will be given to temples coming under the purview of the Endowment Department. Necessary legal action will be taken to delegate the discretion of developmental works to the temples,” Bommai said.
Karnataka is home to a total of 34,563 temples which come under the control of the Endowment Department. Temples in Karnataka are divided into three categories. Those earning more than Rs 25 lakh per year fall in the A category, temples earning between Rs 5-10 lakh under the B category, and then there is the C category. The CM had set the tone to freeing Hindu temples from the clutches of the Endowment department while addressing the BJP state executive meeting in December last year. The CM who presented his maiden budget ahead of the 2023 assembly elections when his leadership popularity will be put to a test.
Bommai also announced to increase compensation for land vested with the government from Rs 48,000 to Rs 60,000 to help the Archakaru (priests) and Agamikaru (Employees) of endowment temples. He said that a subsidy of Rs 5,000 per person will be provided by the government to 30,000 pilgrims undertaking ‘Kaashi Yatre’ from Karnataka.
The chief minister also said that for the effective implementation of the Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Act, the number of Goshalas (Cow Protection Shelters) will be increased from the present 31 to 100 and provided Rs 50 crore for the purpose. He also proposed that the government will launch ‘Punyakoti Dattu Yojane’, (Cow Adoption Scheme) for the first time in the state, to encourage public and private institutions to adopt cows in the Goshalas by paying Rs 11,000 annually.
