CHENNAI: With the DMK government losing power in the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, actor-turned-politician C. Joseph Vijay’s TVK formed the new government, appointing a fresh HR&CE leadership under Minister Ramesh Srinivasan amid promises of transparency, reforms, and administrative overhaul in temple governance.
Temple activist TR Ramesh said that he would be filing contempt cases against three individuals for allegedly disobeying court orders and causing damage to the 300+ year-old Srinivasa Perumal Temple in Egmore.
Taking to his social media platform X, Ramesh said: “The previous DMK regime — the HR & CE Dept under PK Sekar Babu — not only looted Hindu temples through huge civil works such as shopping complexes, wedding halls, and memorials for dead elephants, but also looted temple funds in the name of ‘renovation’, a word that became a bad word thanks to the HR&CE Department.
https://twitter.com/trramesh/status/2058882605551071717?s=20
In another tweet, Ramesh said: “Not less than ₹2,700 crore of Hindu temple funds have been illegally parked in TN Power Finance Corporation, an NBFC owned by the Government of Tamil Nadu. The NBFC has a BBB(-) rating, the lowest rating for a deposit-taking NBFC. Hindu devotees should remember that deposits made in TNPFC are not guaranteed by the Government of Tamil Nadu. Temple funds and university funds in Tamil Nadu have been forcibly invested in this NBFC, whose primary role is to lend to TANGEDCO of the TN government, which now has accumulated losses of Rs 1,60,000 crore. Besides, TNPFC has taken at least ₹8,000 crore in deposits from the public in excess of the limit it can legally receive. These should be returned immediately. TNPFC has repeatedly flouted RBI and Income Tax rules. Why should Hindu temple funds be deposited in such a shaky NBFC? The time has come to legally remove @tnhrcedept from Hindu temples — a department that shamelessly indulges in public fraud and tax violations.”
https://twitter.com/trramesh/status/2057286859525661012?s=20
In his latest post on X, Ramesh said: requsted Minister of HR & CE department to consider these as measures that would immensely benefit temples in Tamil Nadu.
https://twitter.com/trramesh/status/2059109021790183893?s=20
Ramesh, in an interview to a Tamil daily, said: “The TN CM has assured that his government would be transparent. We hope the HR&CE Department will function in a transparent manner, reply to RTI queries pending since 2005 onwards, and initiate action against officials who have been refusing to respond to activists.”
He reminded the new government about the High Court order detailing what the HR&CE Department should and should not do, alleging that these directions were deliberately ignored by earlier governments. “For example, on June 27, 2021, a Division Bench issued 72 guidelines which are yet to be implemented,” he said.
Objections on Auditing
Thirdly, Ramesh said temples should adopt a dual accounting system instead of the outdated method currently being followed. According to him, temples still follow a 19th-century accounting system despite being in the first quarter of the 21st century.
Fourthly, he said that 20 lakh audit objections pending since 1986 should be resolved through panels comprising chartered accountancy professionals, as mandated under the HR&CE Act.
According to Ramesh, records under Sections 29, 30, and 31 are not maintained in most temples, which he termed a criminal offence. He said this should be rectified immediately and that records maintained under Section 29 in 50 important temples should undergo forensic audits. He further alleged that crores of rupees from temple funds had been diverted over the last 15 years to meet departmental expenses and should be returned to the respective temples. He also questioned the use of temple funds for office constructions that generate no regular income and demanded a white paper on the matter.
On Temple Lands
Ramesh further alleged that the Central government was holding 2,400 acres of temple land for salt pans while paying only Rs 2.50 per acre as rent. He demanded a white paper on temple lands, including 27,000 acres belonging to the Vedaranyam temple, 3,000 acres of the Thiruchendur temple, 4,500 acres of the Radhapuram Pandeeswar temple, 800 acres of Chennai Kapali temple lands, and lands belonging to the Thiruvannamalai, Thirunelveli Nellaiappar, Vaitheeswaran, Thiruvidaimaruthur, Thirukadavur, and Thiruvenkadu temples.
Temple Rituals and Agama Practicses
He also said Rule 105 bars HR&CE officials from meddling in temple rituals and Agama practices, and urged officials to strictly follow the rule. According to him, amendments introduced during the DMK rule allowed unrestricted constructions in temples, eased leasing of temple lands, and permitted deposit of temple funds in the loss-making TN Power Finance Corporation. He demanded that these amendments be rolled back.
On Endowment Properties
Ramesh also called for retrieval of mutts, charitable trusts, and endowment properties from encroachers, ensuring fair rental mechanisms, and utilising the revenue for renovation of poor and dilapidated temples, construction of gaushalas, schools teaching Hindu Dharmic principles, colleges, Ayurveda hospitals, and fine arts institutions teaching sculpture, drawing, and other traditional arts.
The report further stated that when the TVK government appointed officials to the HR&CE Department, one official was reportedly reassigned to another department following objections from Dravidar Kazhagam leader Veeramani and other Dravidian parties that the department should not be headed by a Brahmin. It further claimed that after CM Vijay assigned the HR&CE portfolio to a Brahmin minister, opposition voices emerged, while some Muslims reportedly suggested that the department should instead be headed by a Dalit. This prompted some Hindus to respond that non-Hindus or Dalits should first be allowed to head Waqf Boards. The speaker expressed hope that the new HR&CE minister would bring in long-pending reforms.
