Chennai: Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment (HR&CE) department has decided to revive the scheme that uses the excess gold offered by devotees to increase the revenue of temples. The scheme, which will be revived after 10 years, will be monitored by retired judges to make the process transparent.
The announcement was made by the HR&CE Minister PK Sekar Babu during the discussion on the demands for grants for his department in the assembly on Saturday.
According to a report from The New Indian Express, the minister has said that the gold offerings provided by devotees, that are in excess quantity after being used for the needs of the temples, would be melted at the government mint at Mumbai. The gold in turn would be deposited at banks to increase the revenue of the temples, he said and added that a committee of retired judges would be formed to monitor the process.
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Quoting an unidentified official, the report said that the scheme which was launched in 1978, was in force till 2010 and it is at Tiruttani temple, excess gold jewels were turned into gold bars. As the scheme has been put on hold for the past ten years, a large quantity of gold jewels was being stocked in many temples, the official said, as per the report.
The official, according to the report, said, while some of the gold jewels offered by devotees would be used for making idols that are taken in procession, other jewels would be taken to the government mint for melting and turning it into pure gold bars.
To ensure transparency in the scheme, the process of segregating the jewels would be livestreamed in the presence of the committee members headed by retired judges.