CHENNAI: The Hindu religious and charitable endowments (HR&CE) department has announced the formation of a special inspection committee to conduct a comprehensive review of the properties belonging to the Arulmigu Dhandayuthapani Swamy Temple in Palani. Similar committees are expected to be constituted for the remaining temples of the revered Arupadai Veedu (six abodes of Lord Murugan) to protect temple assets and ensure transparency in their management.The decision comes in the wake of the fraudulent registration of a parcel of 1.4-acre land, worth around Rs 100 crore, belonging to the Arulmigu Dhandayudapani Swami Mutt in Palani. The committee, announced by Hindu religious and charitable endowments minister C Ramesh on Wednesday, will bring together officials from both the HR&CE department and the revenue department to carry out an extensive examination of temple properties and revenue records. It will be headed by the additional commissioner of the Trichy region. Other members will include the temple joint commissioner, the revenue divisional officer (RDO) of Palani, the sub-collector of Dindigul, the assistant director of survey and land measurement and the special tahsildar for temple land. The team will verify all the assets of the six temples, including properties and revenue sources that are currently recorded in official documents. “It will also investigate whether there are any unaccounted properties, instances of illegal encroachment, unauthorized transfers of ownership, or unlawful changes in property records. Based on its findings, the committee will submit a detailed report to the govt, following which appropriate legal action will be initiated wherever necessary,” said an HR&CE official.The review is expected to provide a clear picture of the temple’s land holdings, revenue-generating assets and any irregularities that may require corrective measures.
