Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (SP)

Udupi, May 24: State minister for muzrai and higher education, Dr V S Acharya, claimed that the grants being released towards temple development in the state had seen a 20-fold increase after Yeddyurappa took over reins. He was speaking after participating as the chief guest of a religious function organized in connection with the inauguration of development programmes and Brahmakalashotsava of Goddess Kalikamba Temple in Kaup on Monday May 23.

“The government has been sanctioning grants, giving due weightage to the guidance and social services with which these temples are associated with. The earlier governments released grants amounting to four to five crore rupees every year towards temple development,” he stated.

He said that the temples which are controlled by his department have been contributing around Rs 3,000 crore to the exchequer annually, and that the BJP government in the state was the first to plough back the funds pooled through the temples back for their development.

Acharya said that in the past, the government used to sanction only Rs 500 per month as maintenance allowance to small temples. “Our government increased it to Rs 6,000 per annum. Shortly, we plan to hike this to Rs 12,000 per year,” he said, adding that the government plans to make some amendments to Endowment Act shortly. Acharya further informed that the state government has decided to declare Vishwakarma Jayanti as restricted holiday from this year onwards, as per the demand made by people from Vishwakarma community. He said that in course of time, the state will toe the line of some other state governments in declaring holiday on Vishwakarma Jayanti.