Justice Indu Malhotra is ignorant of public finance of Kerala government,and worse,deeply prejudiced against communists. Not a paise of temple revenues enter budget receipts, while hundreds of crores are spent for facilities for devotees and to support temple administration. - Thomas Isaac
Aravindan
The court came down heavily on state government for not paying annual rents to the temples of Kerala in return for the lands taken over by it. 28 years have passed since the day this verdict was pronounced. Till date the Kerala government has not prepared final annuity statements.
True, the Kerala Land Reforms Act provides for payment of annuity. It is in evidence that the final annuity statements had not so far been prepared. The vesting took place on 1-1-1970. Even two decades thereafter Government was not able to prepare the final annuity statement. …It is no doubt pointed out that interim annuity statements are prepared and periodical payments are made. But that is hot sufficient to meet the expenses of the temples. …
In any view, the Vesting Act did not envisage or provide for the deriving of any income by the State from the various lands that vested in the State in terms of Section 3 of the Act. … The income of about Rs. 2.5 crores obtained by the State every year from these forest lands in an unintended income or profit and in my view the said income is being held by the State only for the benefit of the Devaswoms. … To permit the State to appropriate this income when the temples in Malabar do not even have the regular poojas or nivedyams would be wholly unjust and inequitable.
judgment of Kerala High Court on Thiruvegappura Devaswom dated 21 July 1994 IK
Padmanabhaswamy temple rent
Dear Mr. Isaac, under your term as finance minister the Kerala government didn’t even pay the annual rent of 58,500 rupees to Padmanabhaswamy temple for 12,600 acres of Sree Pandaravaka land from 2016 to 2020. In that case can you say that not a single penny entered your coffers?
The market lease rate for 1 acre of paddy field today is atleast 25,000 rupees in Kerala. Going by that logic, your govt owes a minimum of 31.5 crores rupees every year to the temple (even if we exempt the fact that many of these lands are now in urban use). Yet your government still pays only 58,500 rupees (less than 5 rupees per acres in place of 25,000 rupees per acre). Why don’t communists who justify this loot by claiming that no penny enters their coffers, accept the salary chart of 1947 or 1971 for their MPs, MLAs & Ministers?
Takeover pattern
- Commie govt takes over a temple
- A fire suddenly appears in temple office which destroys all the records associated with temple lands
- Commie govt doesn’t pay any rent in return for these lands as there are no records
- All annadhanam & charitable activities are stopped
Koodalmanikyam
Land records of Koodalmanikyam were lost immediately after takeover through a fire mishap in 1974. The court itself struck down your 1971 Koodalmanikyam act citing irregularities. Despite this, instead of handing it over to previous administrators, a new act was brought into force by UDF govt of Oomen Chandy in 2005 which was a copy paste of previous act. The act was also supported by LDF members of the assembly. The new act even has mismanagement by Kaimal as reason for its existence whereas there was no kaimal between 71-08. Your new act accepted the mismanagement by your authorities who were mismanaging the temple for 37 years and yet you wished to continue your mismanagement.
ravilochana
Kerala govt owes more than 300 crs to TDB alone as annual compensation for lands and more than 30 crs to Padmanabhaswamy alone. Another 30+ crs for Guruvayur. CDB, KDB and MDB are also owed several hundred crores. None of these are paid properly.
With no computers, in 1947, TDB head office had less than 50 employees. Now the strength runs into several hundreds and with all latest technology. Salary for these employees are paid from temple income. This is commie jiziyah. Giving party freeloaders salary using temple funds.
At Sabarimala, Kerala govt loots the devotees by charging high amounts for bus fare while keeping the bus route as govt monopoly. For same distance, a fraction of the price is charged. There are bus owners in TN who are ready to provide free transport to Ayyappans. Will u allow it?
Your commie govts took away lands frm temples alone while exempting churches through backdoor (exempted plantations -which were mostly church owned). So much for your secularism.
You claim right to appoint even temple priests while you won’t even audit churches. Prejudiced much?
For all these years of non payment of proper annual compensation for temple lands, Kerala govt owes the temples a few thousand crores a year when interest is calculated. You spend not even a small fraction of it on temples. Don’t lie so shamelessly abt govt supporting temples.
As for transport facilities and roads, that is the duty of govt anyway - you earn in taxes what you spend. After all when devotees stay and spend, you earn taxes on every spending. And I don’t see the govt making similar expenses made on facilities near churches n mosques.
In essence, you are an example for the communist prejudice against temples - which has been pointed out by Justice Indu Malhotra.