Key Points
New Delhi:The Supreme Court Monday agreed to hear a Tamil Nadu-based trusts plea seeking a direction to the state government to return all funds transferred arbitrarily and involuntarily to the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Common Good Fund (CGF) from various Hindu temples and endowments...
According to the petitioner Aalayam Kaappom Foundation, which is described in the petition as a transparent body that works for the welfare of Hindu temples and Hindu heritage temples are to make voluntary contributions to the CGF under section 97 of the act..
However, the foundation has claimed citing official communications between the commissioner, CGF and executive commissioners of various temples that the contribution by the institutions is no longer of their own volition but has now become mandatory in nature, which is against section 97 of the act...
According to the documents accessed by the foundation, which it has provided to the court as well, the funds are being demanded in a predetermined manner and have become a precondition for budget approvals for the temples by the commissioner of the HR&CE Department...
However, the foundation has asserted that funds transferred from January 2011 onwards by Hindu temples and endowments to the CGF were not voluntary contributions and did not adhere to the rules under the HR&CE, 1959 law...
