Chennai, Feb 8 (PTI) The Madras High Court has rejected a plea from the century old Mylapore Club situated on the property belonging to Sri Karpagambal-Kapaleeswarar temple in Luz Corner in the city, challenging a notice demanding payment of revised rate of rent with arrears.

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The demand notice issued in December 2021 revealed that the rent was fixed from July 1, 2016 and the details were communicated to the petitioner club. Further, the breakup details were also furnished in respect of the arrears of rent to be collected.

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Justice S M Subramaniam, who upheld the notice recently observed that this being the factum, the petitioner Club has to comply with the demand or in the event of any objections in respect of the calculations, prefer an appeal before the competent authority in the manner prescribed under the provisions of the HR&CE Act.

The judge was dismissing a writ petition from the Club, by its secretary, challenging the December 2021 demand notice of the temple.

The judge said that it is mandatory to follow the procedures stipulated under Section 34-A of the HR&CE Act for fixation and re-fixation of rent. More specifically, the rent must be fixed based on the prevailing market rental value. Thus, an assessment has to be made and accordingly the rent is to be fixed.

But, unfortunately there are wilder allegations that the temple properties are mostly misused and the fair rent has not been fixed in accordance with the spirit of Section 34-A of the Act. The active and passive collusions of the authorities are to be identified and stern actions are to be initiated without any misplaced sympathy by the higher officials.

Protecting the temple and its properties are the mandate under the provisions of the Act and Rules. Once the HR&CE department has taken over the temple and its administration, then they are submitting themselves for a clean and transparent administration and for the protection of the temple, its belongings and its properties.

Taking over the temple properties and committing the lapses, negligence and dereliction of duty is serious in view of the fact that the great souls, out of their devotion to the God, donated their valuable properties and their belongings to the deity and therefore, the wishes of the donors as per their intention is to be fulfilled.

In the event of any violation, they are not only violating the provisions of the Act and Rules, but also violating the terms and conditions on which the properties are donated by the donors for the benefit of the temple and the devotees, the judge said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)