Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai announced that his government will take the required legal action to do away with government control on temples in the state. In December 2021, Bommai had announced that his government would bring in legislation to ‘free temples’ from the clutches of the state government. Karnataka has around 1,80,000 temples, of which only 35,500 temples come under the Muzrai department.
The state budget for the year 2022-23, that was presented on Friday, read, “There is a long pending demand to do away with the Government control on the temples. By considering these demands of devotees, autonomy will be given to temples coming under the purview of the Endowment Department. Necessary legal action will be taken to delegate the discretion of developmental works to the temples,”.
Currently the temples that come under the Muzrai department are put in three categories based on their annual income. Grade A has 205 temples that earn more than Rs 25 lakh annually; Grade B has 139 temples earning between Rs 5 and Rs 10 lakh per annum; Grade C has 34,219 temples that earn less than Rs 5 lakh per annum.
The 2022-23 budget also announced that for the benefit of pilgrims of Karnataka a “Yatri Nivas Complex is proposed to be constructed in Srishaila, a famous pilgrimage center situated in Andhra Pradesh ''. The budget copy said that the construction will be done in two phases at a cost of Rs.85 crore. “For the works related to the first phase Rs.45 crores will be allotted.''In addition, to assist the devotees from Karnataka visiting Pandarapura in Maharashtra, a guest house would be upgraded.
Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation will implement tours to pilgrim centres at a discounted price under the scheme “Pavitra Yatra”. A subsidy of Rs 5000 per person will be provided by the state government to 30,000 pilgrims undertaking the Kaashi Yatre from Karnataka.
The Tasdik amount will be increased from Rs.48,000 to Rs.60,000 to help out the ``Archakaru, Agamikaru and Employees of Endowment temples”. Tasdik is the compensation the state government gives in return for the lands taken over by the state government, after the Karnataka Inam Abolition Act 1955 section 21. In lieu of the state government taking over the land that was given to the temples, the state government gives an annual, fixed compensation.
The government also announced that an Integrated Temple Management System software will be implemented to provide various services of the temple online.