Dr. K. Krishnasamy, president of Puthiya Tamilagam, demanded that Tamil Nadu temples be freed from all forms of government control, illegally occupied temple lands be reclaimed and a white paper on revenue be issued.
Puthiya Tamilagam party leader Dr. Krishnaswamy met reporters at his residence in the Kuniyamuthur area of Coimbatore.
He said, “The property of all major temples in Tamil Nadu has been looted. The government should take action to prevent looting. The income generated by temple property belongs to the people, and the state government must ensure that it reaches them. In addition, the government should take action to restore illegally seized temple property and issue a white paper outlining the steps taken so far.”
He also questioned how government officials administering the Hindu temples could become so wealthy.
Furthermore, he added, “HR&CE manages 36,850 temples, 5.75 million hectares of land, and 2.5 million square feet of commercial space. Due to the unlawful occupation, the annual revenue is just 50 crore rupees. If the revenue is collected properly, the state’s annual budget can be prepared without the imposition of any taxes. The Coimbatore Perur temple, for example, has 2,500 acres of land. Nobody knows where the money from these properties ends up. The movable and immovable property of all such temples should be recovered. Otherwise, I will go to court and the struggle will be carried out by mobilizing the people.”
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