Decision on new trustees to take time

Hyderabad: Filling of new trustees for the management of major temples in Telangana state with the TRS government backed candidates may take considerable time.

A court stay has put paid to hopes of scores of aspirants to make it to temple boards of major temples, including Laxmi Narasimha Swamy temple in Yadagiri Gutta, Saraswathi Devi temple in Basar, Raja Rajeshwara Swamy temple, Vemulawada, Sita Ramachandraswamy temple, Bhadrachallam, Mallikajuna Swamy, Komrevelli, Anjaneyaswamy Devasthanam, Kondagattu, Ujjaini Mahankali temple, Ganesh temple in Secunderabad and other major temples across the Telangana state.

While scores of TRS and other aspirants are mounting pressure on party MLAs, ministers and other bigwigs for reconstitution of temple trust boards, the government says nothing can be done till court takes a decision.

“Temple trust boards will be reconstituted only after the court stay is vacated. We can’t do anything till the matter is pending in court,” Dr K.V. Ramanachary, advisor to government, endowments, told this newspaper.

Irrigation minister T. Harish Rao, who is flooded with requests, promised party leaders and others in Karimnagar that temple trust boards would be reconstituted soon.

Ministers are under tre-mendous pressure from party leaders and activists for nominated posts, including temple trust boards, and the delay is leading to resentment.

Reconstitution of temple trust boards is held up as some trustees of temples in Karimnagar and Medak appointed by the previous government had moved the Hyderabad High Court against Telangana government GO Ms No 37 dated November 1 which cut the tenure of the trust boards from two years to one year.

The order pertains to Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014 - Revenue (Endowments) Department the Andhra Pradesh Charitable and  Hindu Religious Institutions and Endowments Act, 1987 (AP Act No. 30 of 1987) - Adaptation to the State of Telangana state.

While replacing Andhra Pradesh with Telangana in the Act, the order stated that “Every trustee appointed under section 15 shall hold office for a term of one year from the date of taking oath of office and secrecy provided that on the date of commencement of the Andhra Pradesh Charitable and Hindu Religious Institutions and Endowments Act
(Telangana Adaptation) Order, 2014, a trustee whoever completes a term of office of one year, from the date of taking oath of office and secrecy, shall cease to hold office
forthwith; and the others shall continue to hold office as such till their completion of the term of one year."