BENGALURU: Dismissing the BJP’s allegations, an association of temple priests in Karnataka on Sunday said funds collected by A, B and C category temples through offering boxes were not being misused by the state govt.
The Karnataka Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments (Amendment) Bill, 2024, was defeated in the legislative council two days ago.At a press meet, the priests association said govt is using the fund to develop C grade temples and for the welfare of over 40,000 priests of Hindu temples across the state.
People have misunderstood the bill and are “spreading false information” that fund collected in Hindu temples will be diverted to others prayer halls, said K N S Dixit, secretary, Akhila Karnataka Hindu Devalayagala Archarakara Aagamikara Updhivanthara Okkoota.
“Not a single paisa will be diverted to others. Priests do not have a culture of hitting the streets in protest and creating trouble. So, we have decided to meet the BJP functionaries and request them to pass the bill in council for the welfare of priests in the temples,” he said.
The bill, passed in the assembly, rejig-ged an existing matrix to increase taxes on temples that earned more than ₹1 crore. It reduced the burden on those earned between ₹10 lakh and ₹1 crore to 5%, from the existing 10%. The funds were to go into the common pool for upkeep for priests of Grade C temples. The BJP said the govt was dipping its hands into the till and aiming to divert funds to other religious institutions.
The Karnataka Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments (Amendment) Bill, 2024, was defeated in the legislative council two days ago.At a press meet, the priests association said govt is using the fund to develop C grade temples and for the welfare of over 40,000 priests of Hindu temples across the state.
People have misunderstood the bill and are “spreading false information” that fund collected in Hindu temples will be diverted to others prayer halls, said K N S Dixit, secretary, Akhila Karnataka Hindu Devalayagala Archarakara Aagamikara Updhivanthara Okkoota.
“Not a single paisa will be diverted to others. Priests do not have a culture of hitting the streets in protest and creating trouble. So, we have decided to meet the BJP functionaries and request them to pass the bill in council for the welfare of priests in the temples,” he said.
The bill, passed in the assembly, rejig-ged an existing matrix to increase taxes on temples that earned more than ₹1 crore. It reduced the burden on those earned between ₹10 lakh and ₹1 crore to 5%, from the existing 10%. The funds were to go into the common pool for upkeep for priests of Grade C temples. The BJP said the govt was dipping its hands into the till and aiming to divert funds to other religious institutions.