State govt to denotify 70 temples, hand them over to hereditary trustees

The government will soon denotify select temples and hand them over to the hereditary trustees to manage them, Muzrai Minister Rudrappa Lamani said on Tuesday.

The department has shortlisted 70 temples for denotification as per the recommendations of deputy commissioners of the districts. These temples are currently owned and managed by the Muzrai department. They will be handed over to the hereditary trustees and families that built them," the Minister said, replying to a question by Congress member Shrikant Laxman Ghotnekar in the Council.

He said it was not the government's responsibility to manage temples. It had no intention to take over any temple in the state. The deputy commissioners had recommended denotification of some temples many years ago. But none of his predecessors had taken any decision in this regard, the minister said.

He said the temples that had been selected for denotification were small ones. As many as 34,559 temples come under the purview of the Muzrai department, he said.

When senior member Basanagouda Patil Yatnal sarcastically said the Muzrai department was jinxed and that those who held the portfolio did not win the next election, Lamani said it was not true. "Prakash Hukkeri, who was Muzrai minister, later won the parliamentary election. I am doing my work sincerely and god will protect me," he said.