Author: Special Correspondent
Publication: Afternoon Despatch & Courier
Date: November 11, 2006
URL:
http://www.cybernoon.com/DisplayArticle.asp?section=fromthepress&subsection=inbombay&xfile=November2006_inbombay_standard11325
Introduction: ... but fails to mention Aukaf
Land!
[Note from the Hindu Vivek Kendra: So, corruption
takes place only in Hindu places of worship, but not in others. If that be
so, what the government should actually do is ban Hinduism. Furthermore, the
government is saying that the Hindu temples that it already runs are a role
model of probity.]
To curb corruption at religious places, the
government of Maharashtra has decided to take over all religious shrines through
a new legislation. According to senior government officials the proposed 'Religious
Shrines, Places and Temple Regulations', will add Rs. 40,000 crore to the
government's coffer. But this law is likely to create resentment as it finds
no mention about the Aukaf Land.
After receiving a number of complaints about
the growing corruption in many religious places, the government took a decision
to introduce legislation to control all the shrines in the state. The draft
bill of this proposed law is ready and the government might introduce this
in the winter session of the legislature.
In Mumbai city alone, there are 60,000-70,000
religious places. Most of these shrines are surrounded by various controversies
and more than 75,000 litigations related to them are pending with the Charity
Commissioner's office. The officials feel that this particular legislation
will reduce the litigations and will get some way out to the long pending
problems.
Presently some shrines are under government
control from which the state is getting two per cent of the total income.
In the new bill the provision is made to recover 12 to 15 per cent of the
total income. There are more than nine lakh religious shrines and places in
the state. With this provision the state will get a fat sum of Rs 40,000 crore
in its empty coffer. But this proposed legislation is likely to invite some
unavoidable tensions for the government. After the enforcement of this act
all Hindu, Jain, Christians and Boudha shrines will be under government control.
But this draft bill is totally silent on huge Aukaf Land spread all over the
state. This might spark some major problem for the government.
