Dear partner in this holy mission,
Thanks a lot for signing this petition!
Sri. Pon Manikkavel, the highly respected retired Inspector General of Police, has stated that while the officers of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HRCE) Department of Tamil Nadu are paid Rs. 41,000 as a monthly salary, the maximum salary that temple priests get is Rs. 4,800. The officers of HRCE work in air-conditioned offices, which are fully funded by the money offered by the devotees to the temple, while the priests are suffering for want of adequate wages. TASMAC is a company owned by the government of Tamil Nadu and controls the Indian Made Foreign Liquor trade in the state. It was established in 1983 and has been the sole retail vendor of alcohol in Tamil Nadu since an amendment to the Tamil Nadu Prohibition Act in 2003. This is what happens when the management of temples is given to a Government that focuses on the distribution and sale of alcoholic beverages throughout the state. I was in Chennai once during the period of Diwali when Mr. M. Karunanidhi was the chief minister. He had given instructions to the TASMAC officials to make sure that 3 times the normal stock of liquor should be kept in the outlets during the days around Diwali! We know that Jaffer Sadiq, who was recently arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau, in connection with the Rs.2,000 crore drug trafficking racket was a former DMK functionary. Is it correct to have the finances of our temples managed by ministers and officers appointed by this party? Further, in a secular state, why should the Government control the finances and management of temples?
It is our duty as concerned citizens to demand that temples be managed by independent boards under the supervision of retired judges, accountants, managers, and other renowned citizens. Not only in Tamil Nadu but also in all the states of India. In a democracy, the only way positive changes happen is by raising our voices against such mismanagement by the state. Already, more than 8000 responsible individuals like you have signed this petition. May I request you to kindly ensure that at least 10 people from your family members, friends, relatives, and office colleagues sign the same? I request your kind cooperation in raising awareness of this at the national level.
Ask them to click the link below to sign the same: