Kanchipuram District Collector Kalaichelvi Mohan has announced that the DMK government will soon disburse financial aid for the repair and renovation of churches. This initiative, which began in the fiscal year 2016-17, now includes increased funding based on the age of the church buildings.
According to an official release, funding will cover the installation of stands for reading the gospel, sound systems, altars, sacred vessels, benches for devotees, and compound walls. The financial aid has been significantly increased:
– Churches aged 10-15 years will now receive ₹10 lakh instead of the previous ₹2 lakh
– Churches aged 15-20 years will get ₹15 lakh, up from ₹4 lakh
– Churches over 20 years old will receive ₹20 lakh, an increase from the earlier ₹6 lakh
A committee led by the Collector will review applications, conduct site inspections, and assess the needs before recommending eligible churches for funding. The financial aid will be disbursed in two installments via electronic transfer to the church’s bank account, according to an official release.
கிறிஸ்துவ தேவாலயங்களை பழுதுபார்த்தல் மற்றும் சீரமைத்தல் பணிகள் மேற்கொள்வதற்கு அரசு நிதி உதவி வழங்குதல். – மாவட்ட ஆட்சித்தலைவர் திருமதி.கலைச்செல்வி மோகன், இ.ஆ.ப., அவர்கள் தகவல்.#Kancheepuram | #காஞ்சிபுரம் | #Kanchipuram | pic.twitter.com/N5sAvXIB23
— District Collector Kancheepuram (@KanchiCollector) June 22, 2024
It is noteworthy that HR&CE department in Tamil Nadu has been routinely taking temple money and using it for purposes that are not related to the temple or rituals connected to the temple. Also, neither do churches and mosques come under the purview of any Religious and Charitable Endowments department under the state government. Critics question how and why a state government must fund the repair of churches when it does not partake in the money from these institutions.
Additionally, the work done in the name of repairs in Tamil Nadu have been seen as a farce. In 2023, a portion of the eastern entry tower at Srirangam Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple collapsed. This occurred during an ongoing effort to mend the first and second-level compound walls of the temple entrance exposing the quality of “repair work” allegedly done by the HR & CE department. In addition to this, temple premises are being used as parking lots for officials to park their vehicles.
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