Maharashtra: Cabinet nod to govt control of Shani Shingnapur temple’s trust

The cabinet gave its nod to a draft legislation that would allow the government to nominate the temple trust’s management committee. (Express photo by Pavan Khengre/File)

The government on Wednesday tightened its hold over the affairs of the Shani Shingnapur temple in Ahmednagar district with the Cabinet approving a draft legislation that will allow the government to take control of the temple’s management trust.

The development comes two years after a high-voltage campaign by activists to allow women to enter the inner sanctum of the temple. While the temple’s trust had finally yielded to public outrage and had withdrawn the bar, the government has used the episode to justify its move for a bigger say.

On Wednesday, the cabinet gave its nod to a draft legislation that would allow the government to nominate the temple trust’s management committee.

While the temple is already registered as a public charitable trust, the government has said provisions under which it had been enrolled had made it difficult for the state machinery to step in and direct the temple trust at the time of the campaign. It has further claimed that the trust’s inaction in the matter had resulted in the creation of a law-and-order issue in the state. The government has also claimed to have received several complaints regarding the trust’s mismanagement.

The temple trust has been controlled by the politically influential Gadakh family, which has over the years affiliated itself with either the Congress or the NCP.

In a major relief to the reserved category students, applying for professional courses in Maharashtra, the state cabinet approved a proposal for time-bound issuance of caste validity certificates. The apex court had in 2017 made it mandatory for candidates to submit such certificates.