The Madras High Court on Friday ordered notice to Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) department on a public interest litigation petition seeking disbursal of financial assistance to skilled, semi-skilled as well as unskilled workers dependent on temples, which have remained closed since March 25 due to the lockdown, for their income.
Justices R. Subbiah and Krishnan Ramasamy directed HR&CE counsel M. Karthikeyan to take notice on behalf of HR&CE department and file a counter within two weeks. R.R. Gopaljee, publisher of a Tamil news daily, had filed the case urging that the financial assistance must be extended to all workers, without any restrictions, dependant on temples.
He insisted that the assistance must be given to all Archakas, Battacharyas, Pujaris, Adyapakas, Vedaprayaniks, Othuvars, musicians, torch bearers and a host of others who get income only depending on the functioning of temples and not otherwise.
