SC desists Karnataka from enforcing retirement rule on temple priests

In a major relief to more than 70,000 priests employed in various temples across Karnataka, the Supreme Court has directed the State Government to desist from the move to superannuate them at the age of 65 years.

According to information reaching here, a bench comprising Justice H K Sema and Justice Lokeshwar Singh Panta said the priests were pursuing the profession hereditarily and the retirement age fixed for them under the Karnataka Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments Act should not be implemented.

At least 35,000 priests in the State, who were facing the threat of termination from service as they had crossed 65 years, can now heave a sigh of relief, according to Akhila Karnataka Archaka Federation, an association of temple priests in the State.

“No coercive or punitive action should be taken against the priests”, the Bench cautioned the Karnataka Government, which was represented by counsel Sanjay Hegde.

But, Hegde contended before the court that the priests were not handing over the accounts of the temples to the Government though they were governed by the rules of the Department of Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments. “They are usurping the income of the Temples without spending it on other developmental activities”, alleged Hegde.

The Apex court, however, permitted the State Government to take over the management of the temples.

The Akhila Karnataka Archaka Federation had challenged the Karnataka Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments Act on the grounds that it was “discriminatory” and not uniformly applicable to all religious institutions.
The Federation has been seeking a hike in the emoluments of the priests from the existing Rs 490 per month to a reasonable amount. The Apex Court court urged the high level committee constituted by the Karnataka Government under the chairmanship of Justice (Retd) Rama Jois to put forth its suggestions for the welfare of the priests community, which is dependent on the temple for its livelihood for generations