HR&CE Minister Ramesh on Sunday alleged in the Tamil Nadu Assembly that attempts were made during a previous DMK regime to turn temples into revenue-driven commercial projects.
Responding to a debate, the minister said temple income would be used for the temple and for basic amenities for devotees. He said the government had reviewed earlier announcements on building marriage halls and commercial complexes using temple funds.
Ramesh claimed that in several temples, essential facilities such as toilets and accommodation were lacking, while projects were pursued primarily to generate income. He added that courts had also stayed some such initiatives.
Citing the Vinayagar Temple in Coonoor, Nilgiris district, he said the DMK government had announced a plan to build a multi-storey parking facility at a cost of ₹10 crore from temple funds, even though the temple reportedly receives around 500 devotees a month and lacks even basic toilets.
Former HR&CE Minister P.K. Sekarbabu said the projects were undertaken based on MLAs’ requests and that the Coonoor parking plan was aimed at increasing revenue to improve facilities across 56 temples, following a municipal recommendation. Ramesh countered that the land could have been leased to the municipality to earn revenue, instead of spending temple funds, and reiterated that devotees were asking for basic amenities rather than parking.
