Multi-member panel must steer temple renovation: Madras High Court

Chennai: The Madras high court has directed Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowments Department to constitute an expert committee comprising specialist in structural engineering, archaeology, conservation, traditional stapathy and two agama experts for the purpose of  renovating, maintaining and repairing the temples in the state. The first bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice R. Mahadevan before which a batch of PILs and contempt petitions came up for hearing, said, "There is a consensus that the best method would be to do what we have envisaged in our order dated October 25, 2016 and all miscellaneous petitions filed by the individual temples be referred to a committee, which will consist of the above fields". "The department representative will act as the secretary of the committee for facilitating its working and for furnishing records. It is further agreed that any suggestion as to names be made to the court master by today and the committee will be appointed on November 7, 2016, at 2.15 pm, When the bench will hear the case once again" the bench said.

"The Committee would look into the issue of the repairs and renovations to be carried out in terms of what we already observed in our order dated October 25. Priority will have to be given based on urgency related to religious ceremonies which need to be performed on designated days, by the committee. The bench on December 10, 2015, directed the HR& CE department to go slow in the matter of renovations of the temples for the time being till a proper path is laid ahead. In another earlier order dated 23/08/2016 the bench directed the HR& CE department to proceed in terms of the suggestions of the Unesco for renovating temples or heritage structures in Tamil Nadu.