Putting an end to all the questions that rose last week over the Karnataka government’s decision to head towards controlling private temples in the state, Minister for Murray Kota Srinivas Poojary has clarified that the government has no such intentions.

As reported, Poojary said the government doesn’t intend to either monitor or control the administration of private temples in the state and the notice that was issued seeking the registration of non-endowment temples was a reminder based on a 2015 order pertaining to the same.

The BJP government that had in its election manifesto been vocal about freeeing temples from government control was in for severe criticism last week after an order by Chikkamagaluru Assistant Commissioner H L Nagaraj seeking registration of private temples made news.

In a press conference in Chikkamagaluru, Nagaraj had said those temple that fail to register with the district administration would face action. But Poojary has now clarified that this was an order that has been in place since 2015 for the sake of registration requiring temples to furnish details of place, assets and wealth. ”But this is solely for the purpose of registration. There is no question of the government controlling private temples. If people want we can also revisit the rules pertaining to registration,“ he explained, as quoted.

As per reports, Poojary, in a bid to address the concerns of devotees regarding temple control, has also ordered the department to halt this process of mandatory registration too.