Silvester D'Souza

Daijiworld Media Network - Byndoor (SP)

Byndoor, Oct 3: State muzrai, fisheries and ports minister Kota Srinivas Poojary, said that in the first ever meeting he attended after assuming charge as minister, he had taken steps to appoint 1,000 staff to muzrai temples in the state considering chronic shortage of personnel faced by them.

He was speaking after inaugurating 'Mookambika Annaprasada dining hall' built at a cost of about Rs 21 crore in Goddess Mookambika temple at Kollur near here, on Wednesday October 2.

Poojary said that there are 34,000 temples under his department out of which 190 are A grade temples. He said that the department's main concern is that the donations made by devotees are properly and judiciously utilized. He said that towards working for social causes, it is proposed to hold mass marriages under the aegis of his department. He also said that the government is considering a proposal to develop grazing pastures for cattle through the temples under the department.

"We propose to begin E-Hundi to enable devotees to donate cash, gold etc so that the money reaches temples in a transparent manner," he announced. He felt that this will also augment income of temples. He said that there is also a proposal to enable people to book Yakshagana, Chandika Homa, gold chariot Seva etc online.

Local MLA B M Sukumar Shetty, who presided, said that he had worked for about ten years as the managing trustee of this temple before becoming MLA. He said he had stopped visiting this temple since the last seven years as vested interested had filed false complaints against him with the Lokayukta.

Temple managing committee president, Harish Kumar Shetty, delivered introductory address. He said that foundation stone had been laid for this 70,000 square feet dining hall and that every day, over 20,000 devotees can be served food here. He added that this is a model dining hall in the entire state with the provision of hygienic equipment.

Udupi district deputy commissioner G Jagadeesha, priest K V Sridhar Adiga, members Jayanti Vijayakrishna Padukone, Ambika Devadiga, Ramesh Ganiga, Byndoor tahsildar B P Pujar, taluk panchayat member Greeshma Bhide, gram panchayat president S Kumar and others were present.