To change this situation, all temples should be handed over to devotees and also authorities and persons who are responsible for such bad situation of temple must be punished ! – Editor, HJS
Khammam (Telangana) : Sri Sitaramchandra Swamy temple at Bhadrachalam is facing funds crunch due to the apathy of the temple authorities. It is said that there is no need to urge anybody for the funds for the temple, if the temple authorities tap its revenue sources in a proper manner.
The temple has 917 acres land near Bhadrachalam town donated by a devotee, Purusotham Das, long ago for the temple development. But due to lack of official monitoring, 705 acres of land was encroached upon by land grabbers. The officials failed to get back the land till today. Due to this, the temple is losing ` 1.40 crore revenue per annum since 2005.
Instead of trying to generate income, the temple authorities sold over 100 acres to some organisations. The sold land is priced at `one crore per acre now.
The temple also owns over 40 acre land in Khammam, Krishna and Guntur districts and getting revenues from leasing out the lands.
Other main sources of income for the temple are cottages, choultries, shopping complexes, coconut auction, hair selling, laddu prasadam, puja tickets and hundi.
According to temple officials the temple is getting `15 crore revenue per year. But due to the officials failure in collecting rents from the lease holders, the arrears are increasing year by year.
As per norms, the officials have to increase tender bidding amount of coconut, hair, Sesha vastralu and laddu prasadam ever year but they are not raising the bidding amount and allotting to the same contractors every year for the last three years. Though the temple has 25 cottages and 180 individual rooms, lack of maintenance is resulting in poor occupation by the devotees and the temple is losing income.
“Due to lack of drinking water facility and sanitation at the cottages, the devotees are not showing interest in staying at cottages,” said N Mallikarjuna Rao, a trader.
It is also alleged that the irregularities in laddu prasadam selling have become a common thing at the temple. Irregularities in ticket selling were also reported. The devotees alleged that irregularities have become a common thing as there is no proper monitoring over the functioning of employees. A staffer was removed for defrauding nearly `3 lakh in laddu prasadam sales. Another staffer was also involved in cheating in tickets. But the officials did not view it as a serious thing and left him with small fine.
Avula Subba Rao demanded the government to probe into the temple revenues and also transfer the long standing employees to correct the system.
Monumental Mismanagement
■ The temple has 917 acres land near Bhadrachalam town donated by a devotee, Purusotham Das, long ago for the temple development
■ But due to lack of official monitoring, 705 acres of land was encroached upon by land grabbers
■ It is said that officials have failed to collect rents worth `66 lakh from the shops which have been leased out to private parties
Source : The New Indian Express
