Vidyaranyapura temple under govt control now

BENGALURU: The government, through an order dated October 10, has brought Sri Kalika Durgaparameshwari temple in Vidyaranyapura, north Bengaluru, under the control of the endowment department. This follows a probe revealing the family running the temple had been misappropriating funds for years.

Constructed in 1988, the temple was being run by Radhamma and her son Vasanth Kumar through a private trust which wasn’t registered. The temple activities were brought to the government’s notice by a few trustees and devotees, who alleged the duo were misusing funds.

They also claimed that a fight between the temple priest and MLC R Chowda Reddy had affected prayer sessions. The complainants requested the temple be taken over by the government.

A field inspection report was submitted to the government by the assistant commissioner, muzrai department, who prima facie found Radhamma and Vasanth had been spending money collected at will and there were no records with them about the temple’s finances.

The report estimated the temple’s annual income in the range of Rs 2-3 crore, and recommended to the commissioner, endowment department, that the case was fit for a government takeover.

A showcause notice was issued to Radhamma and Vasanth in December 2017. In their written reply, “they failed to clarify on allegations of misappropriation of funds”, the order reads.