Temples Takeover Act

Protest March against Temple Takeover Act	Meeting with temple trusts (See all photos)

Maharashtra Government's Ploy to take over all Temples: Mosques Excluded

The Congress united front government running the Maharashtra State, has made it bankrupt and is now planning to take over 4,50,000 temples and all religious institutions in the State. As per the recommendations of '15th Law Commission' formed under the chairmanship of Shri. D. N. Chaudhury, the State Government is planning to pass a law to this effect. The 'secular' (?) State Government has excluded all the mosques, Durgahs and madarassas registered with the Wakf Board.

How will this impact?

1. Government may take control of trusts. (4,50,000 temples)

2. All the mosques, Durgahs and Madarassas registered with the Wakf Board are excluded.

3. The state will decide how trust money will be spent.

4. The trusts now contribute 2 per cent of their gross income to run the Charity Commissioner's Office. If the new law is passed, that may go up to 8 per cent.

5. There should be three trustees per trust. One will be appointed by the government.

6. All income should be in a common fund, there should be no lifetime trustees, each trustee should be liable (not just the trust) and donations must be approved by the charity commissioner.

Source: Temple trusts prepare for battle royale
Hindustan Times, Mumbai Edition (28 Sept 06, Page 6)

False Reasoning by Government

Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh ordered the drafting of a new law after a stampede killed 267 people at Mandradevi Temple in Satara in January 2005. The Maharashtra Temples or Religious Institutions (Management and Regulation) Bill will come soon in the cabinet. The Government has put forth the reason that planning and utilization of temple funds is not done properly and therefore, the above Law is proposed.

True reasons for proposing this law -

1. Government has become bankrupt and it is willing to utilize money offered by devotees to conceal its failure.
2. Government is taking over only wealthy temple trusts and ignoring the trusts which actually need the finicial support.
3. Congress and maxist governments have misused the temple funds in various states including Maharashtra.