TRS government cadre vie for temples

Hyderabad: The Telangana state government’s decision to constitute non-hereditary trust boards for various temples across the state has invigorated TRS leaders, activists and philanthropists, who are queuing up before the commissioner of endowments, joint commissioner/deputy commissioner of endowments, Hyderabad and the concerned temples for filing applications for trusteeship.

Trust boards will be constituted for 34 temples having incomes above Rs 1 crore and 25 temples with incomes between Rs 25 lakh and Rs 1 crore. Each board will have 14 members including chairman or hereditary chairman depending on the temple. The tenure is for one year.

There are 20 temples in Hyderabad, Secunderabad and neighbouring Ranga Reddy district for which trust boards are being constituted. “We are receiving applications for posts of trust board members. Since we already have a hereditary chairman, Narasimhamurthy, applications have been sought for 13 trust board members’ posts. The number of applicants will be known after September 6,” said Ms Geetha, executive officer, Sri Laxmi Narasimha Swamy Temple, Yadagirigutta (now Yadadri).

Endowments officials said there was a huge demand for posts in the temples with incomes above Rs 1 crore in view of their prominence and also since they are visited by lakhs of devotees.

“After market committees, it’s now the turn of temples’ trust boards. TRS leaders have been longing for posts and it is finally coming. There is huge pressure on ministers and legislators from party leaders and cadre for nominated posts,” a TRS legislator said.

Among the temples with incomes over '1 crore are Sri Ujjaini Mahankali temple, Secunderabad, Sri Ramalinge-shwara Swamy Temple, Kees-ara, Ranga Reddy, Sri Laxmi Narasimha Swamy temple, Yadagirigutta, Nalgonda, Sam-makka Saralamma Jathra, Medaram, Warangal, Sri Lax-mi Narasimha Swamy temple, Dharmapuri, Karimnagar, Sri Seetha Ramachandra Swamy Devasthanam, Bhadracha-llam, Khammam, Sri Gnana Saraswathi Devasthanam, Basara, Adilabad, Sri Jogula-mba Balabrameshwara group of temples, Alampur, Mahabu-bnagar, Sri Bhadrakali Temp-le, Warangal town, and Sri Ke-taki Sangameshwara Swamy temple, Jarasangam, Medak.