The State Information Commission (SIC) has directed that temples under the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department must keep details of their assets and finances available for devotees to inspect.
The directions were issued during an inquiry into a complaint that information was not provided under the Right to Information (RTI) Act in connection with a Chennai temple. The hearing was led by State Information Commissioner Ilamparithi.
The Commission noted that more than 2,000 HR&CE-related RTI appeals are pending, and that only a limited number of people seek such information. It also observed that even in the current AI era, having to wait up to 30 days for basic temple administration details is regrettable.
Citing Section 4 of the RTI Act, the SIC said all temples should proactively disclose information such as temple properties, income and expenditure, deposits and permanent savings, metal articles, and details of donations by benefactors, in a manner visible to devotees.
It further directed that notice boards should carry the temple’s history and special features, along with details of poojas and festivals, and the names of staff and priests. Trustee committee resolutions, government orders and circulars should be published on websites, the order said.
