Bill on funding development of ‘C’ grade temples pending with Governor, says Dinesh Gundu Rao

Newly nominated members to temples under Endowment Department in Dakshina Kannada at a meeting held in Mangaluru on Friday.
| Photo Credit:
H.S. Manjunath

The Bill related to utilising funds of ‘A’ grade temple for the development of ‘C’ grade temples coming under the Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments Department is pending with Govenor Thaawarchand Gehlot, said Dakshina Kannada District in charge Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao in Mangaluru on Friday.

In an interaction with newly nominated members to managing committees of temples coming under Endowment Department, Mr. Rao said the Bill entailed use of funds from the income rich “A” grade and other temples for development of “C” grade temples. As per the Bill, 10% of the gross income of ‘A’ grade temples that have annual income of over ₹1 crore and 5% of temples with annual income of over ₹10 lakh, will be transferred to a Common Pool Fund, which will be used for development of “C” grade temples and for welfare initiatives.

“This Bill has social security features for ‘archakas’, which includes scholarship for children of archakas. The Governor has referred the Bill to the President,” Mr. Rao said added, “Governor is in the city (Mangaluru) on Saturday. You (temple committee members) should meet him and prevail upon him go give his assent to the Bill,” Mr. Rao said.

Criticising news channels for spreading false news that the Government was transferring funds collected in temple “hundis” to minority religious institutions, Mr. Rao said it was his father Gundu Rao who started the practice of giving monthly “Tasdik” to priests of temples coming under the Endowment Department. “This practice has continued. Recently Siddaramaiah increased this sum to ₹72,000 a year. Some organisations were trying to give false impression about the Congress government,” he said.

The Minister called upon the new committee members to ensure that the temples continue to function in a democratic way as per its tradition. The temples should not fall pray to dictates of any political party or political organisation, he said.

MLCs Manjunath Bhandary and Ivan D’Souza and subject experts Lakshmmesha gubladka and H. Raghava also spoke.

Highest earning

According to Endowment Department, the Subrahmanya Temple in Kukke was the highest earning temple under the department in the State with earnings of ₹155.95 crore for the year 2024-25. Among the other temples in Dakshina Kannada, the Durgaparameshwari Temple in Kateel has recorded earning of ₹35.17 crore, Soutadka Mahaganapati Temple recorded ₹13.15 crore, Rajarajeshwari Temple in Polali ₹9.63 crore, Manjunatha Temple in Kadri ₹8.77 crore, Mahalingeshwara Temple in Puttur ₹7.51 crore, Sahasralingeshwara Temple in Uppinangady ₹5.03 crore, Panolibailu Shri Kallurti Daivastana ₹4.59 crore, Shri Anantapadmanabha Temple in Kudupu ₹4.50 crore and Shri Mangaladevi Temple in Bolar ₹4.23 crore, for the year 2024-25.