Bengaluru, May 12: The All Karnataka Priests' Association has appealed to the Governor to immediately sign and implement the Mujarai Amendment Bill passed by the Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council.
Once this law is approved, the wealthy A and B category temples will be allowed to share their additional income with the unaided C category temples in the villages.
Speaking at a press conference, the president of the association, Prof. K.E. Radhakrishna, said that this law has been amended with a view to help the development of `C' category temples in rural areas proportionately from the additional income of `A' and `B' category temples. However, he said that this amendment law has been pending for the Governor's assent for the last 10 years.
It is not right for Pejawar Sri to say that Mujarai temples should be privatized. He said this in a fit of anger. He appealed that the Mujarai temples should not be privatized or given to private individuals for any reason.
All parties in both houses have unanimously welcomed this bill and the government has sent it to the Governor for his assent to the newly amended act. However, the Honorable Governor has kept this non-political act to himself without giving his assent for any reason. We have taken a delegation led by the alliance and appealed to the Governor in this regard. Prof. Radhakrishna demanded that the Governor should immediately give his assent and facilitate the implementation of the act.
Priests performing puja in A and B grade temples do not have many problems. However, priests have difficulty performing puja in C grade temples even for two hours. Therefore, he explained that the amended act now allows for the use of 10% of the remaining money for the development of C grade temples after meeting all the expenses of A and B grade temples.
C-class temples have lost lakhs of acres of land. The existing land has been used on lease by influential people for decades. Union Secretary K.S.N. Dixit has demanded that action be taken to protect that property.