Uttarakhand CM Overturns Predecessor's Decision, Removes State Control Over 51 Prominent Temples

Uttarakhand’s newly appointed chief minister, Tirath Singh Rawat, has overturned the erstwhile CM’s decision to take over the management of 51 temples in the state.

The decision came major after shrines protested the state-takeover and met the chief minister.

As many as 51 shrines, including Badrinath, Kedarnath, Yamunotri and Gangotri, were under the direct control of the state government after Governor Baby Rani Maurya gave her assent to the Char Dham Devsthanam Management Bill that was passed during the winter session of the Assembly.

The CM’s announcement came on the sidelines of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) Kendriya Margdarshak Mandal meeting held in Haridwar on Friday.

Among others, three resolutions were particularly discussed at length in the meeting. The members said the government should work towards the inclusion of ‘Ram Setu’ as a World heritage site. The state governments which do not have an anti-conversion law must introduce one, the members demanded, adding that temples should be out of government control in states.

Tirath Singh Rawat, who attended the meeting, assured the members that his government was working towards bringing temples out of ‘Devasthanam Act’ for managing and controlling temples.

Then chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat had said the new act will help in the professional management of the revered shrines that are visited by lakhs of people every year. In 2019, over three million people visited the four shrines in the hill state.

According to the act, the chief minister would be the board’s president, while a senior officer of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) will become the chief executive officer. The new law has the provision to sack a priest if he is found involved in any ‘wrongdoing’.

There was widespread resentment ever since the government decided to introduce the bill. Several priests feared the new system would curtail their role and duties which they and their families have been engaged with for decades.

State Congress president Pritam Singh had then said if his party is voted to power, the Act would be revoked.

The Congress had been at the forefront of protests, led by local priests, against the new Act.

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