CHENNAI: The Madras high court has directed the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments department (HR&CE) to file a report on the rental arrears due from lease holders of temple lands across the state.A special division bench of Justice R Mahadevan and Justice P D Audikesavalu passed the interim order on the plea moved by R Venkataraman.The petitioner alleged that royal treasures of Chola kings stored in an underground tunnel including 400 antique idols in Sri Pasupatheeswarar temple at Pandanallur, Thanjavur is being looted by the HR & CE officials.He further claimed that the department had failed to take any steps to collect rental arrears due to the temple to the tune of Rs 24crore.Venkataraman wanted the court to constitute a commission headed by a retired judge of the high court to conduct inquiries into such complaints pending before the HR and CE department.This apart, the petitioners alleged that heritage structures in the temple including tunnels and tank moats are destroyed, and parts of the temple illegally converted to paddy collection and storage centre for Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation.“Heritage buildings attached to the temple and assigned for the usage of temple priest are illegally demolished and all the antique wooden doors and pillars were stolen. Tenancy register has been fabricated to show only 300 tenants instead of 8000,” he added.The petitioner further claimed that he had lodged a series of grievance petitions highlighting the issues with the HR&CE department, all relating to various instances of mismanagement of Sri Pasupatheeswarar temple and 23 other temples which comes under it. As the authorities failed to act on the complaints, he had approached the high court seeking relief.

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