Panel to select temple trust board members

RAJAHMUNDRY: The state government has issued fresh guidelines on appointment of temple trust board members to prevent persons with criminal background and questionable character becoming board members.The move comes in wake of the fact that trust boards are increasingly becoming political rehabilitation centres and the elected representatives are recommending followers who seem to have no knowledge about temples. In many trust boards, the politically appointed members are said to be creating problems to managements in trying to boost commercial interests. The government has appointed a three-member committee whose recommendations will henceforth be final in appointing temple trust board members. The panel, which will consist of the endowments department deputy commissioner, revenue divisional officer and deputy superintendent of police, will scrutinise applicants in all aspects and submit a report to the collector. The committee will appoint the board members only after the consent of the collector. “The government issued the orders a week ago. Apart from the deputy commissioner of Endowments, the local RDO and DSP will be the  other members,” said E Jagannadham, assistant commissioner of Endowments.The endowments deputy commissioner at present has the power to appoint board members in temples having an annual income of less than `2 lakh while the endowments commissioner appoints members having an annual income between `2 lakh to `25 lakh. Similarly, the Dharmika Parishad appoint trust boards to temples having an annual income between `25 lakh to `1 crore and the government appoint members to temples having an income above `1 crore.In East Godavari district, there are 700 temples having an annual income of `2 lakh and sixty per cent of temples have trust boards. According to Endowments officials, the new guidelines will help to set up trust boards with honest and disciplined members.