INDIA, March 19, 2025 (The Commune): The Madras High Court on Friday recorded the Tamil Nadu government decision to withdraw its order allowing the use of temple funds of Pollachi Masani Amman for a luxury resort project in Ooty. The court was hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by petitioner P. Baskar against the Principal Secretary of the Tourism Department and other officials of the HR&CE department, challenging the legality of the government’s order. The PIL sought a writ of certiorari to quash Government Order dated 24 December, 2024, which permitted breaking off a fixed deposit of US$1.74 million from the surplus funds of Masani Amman Temple in Pollachi, under the control of the Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowments (HR & CE) Department. The funds were earmarked for the construction of a luxury resort in Ooty’s Kandal area, near the Subramanian Swamy Temple.

Senior Advocate J. Ravindran, representing the government, assisted by Government Pleader Edwin Prabakar, stated that the use of the term resort in the government order was a mistake and that the proposed project was intended to be a Yatri Niwas (pilgrim accommodation). However, the petitioner’s counsel, B. Jagannath strongly opposed this claim, arguing that the government order explicitly mentioned the term resort in the tabulated estimates and that the project violated multiple provisions of the HR & CE Act, including Sections 36, 36A, and 66(1). Taking cognizance of the arguments, the Division Bench, comprising Chief Justice K.R. Shriram and Justice Mohammed Shaffiq, observed that either an interim stay would be issued, or the impugned order should be withdrawn. The Additional Advocate General, in response, submitted that the government had decided to withdraw the order. The court recorded this statement and closed the petition without issuing a stay order, noting that the issue had been resolved through the government’s undertaking.

https://thecommunemag.com/madras-high-court-directs-withdrawal-of-tn-govt-order-to-use-maasani-amman-temple-funds-for-resort-construction/

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