Maharashtra Government Proposes to Take Over Religious Shrines

[Guest guest]

I don't know how this would affect ISKCON, but I thought you might find it

useful information. y.s. Merud.d.

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Maharashtra Government Proposes to Take Over Religious Shrines

http://www.cybernoon.com/DisplayArticle.asp?section=fromthepress&subsection=

inbombay&xfile=November2006_inbombay_standard11325

 

MUMBAI, MAHARASHTRA, November 13, 2006: The Maharashtra government is

proposing legislation which will empower the state to take over all

religious shrines. If the legislation is enacted it will place all Hindu,

Jain, Christian and Buddhist shrines under government control. The law,

however, makes no mention of Aukaf land (Muslim religious bequests) which

are located all over the state.

 

The intended purpose of the proposal, according to the government, is to

curb corruption at the temples. At the present time, some shrines are under

government control from which the state is getting two per cent of the total

income. In the new bill the provision is made to take 12 to 15 per cent of

the total income. According to senior government officials, the proposed

legislation will add approximately US$890,000 in yearly revenues to the

government. In Mumbai alone, there are 60,000 - 70,000 religious shrines.

Most of these are involved in various controversies and more than 75,000

litigations related to them are pending with the Charity Commissioner's

office. The officials feel that this particular legislation will reduce the

litigations and will provide a way out of the long pending problems.