Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Monday gave the state government six weeks to respond to PILs filed in 2017 and 2018 challenging the state exchequer’s offerings to deities in Tirumala, Vijayawada, and other temples.
Writer Kancha Ilaiah and activist Gundamala Ramulu filed a PIL jointly challenging GO 22 and 23 issued by the revenue department in February 2015, which authorised funds for state chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao to offer jewellery to various deities. Prof. P.L. Vishweshwar Rao challenged such state offerings in another PIL, making the chief minister a respondent in his personal capacity.
The petitioners asked that the chief secretary issue orders to recover the funds spent in accordance with the contested GOs. They were referring to the chief minister’s announcements regarding jewellery offerings in temples such as Bhadrakali, Veerabhadra Swamy, Venkateshwara Swamy in Tirumala, Padmavati Ammavaru in Tiruchanoor, and Kanaka Durga temple in Vijayawada.
But, neither the state government nor Chandrashekar Rao, however, filed counter-claims.
The two PILs were heard on Monday by a division bench comprising Chief Justice Ujjal Bhuyan and Justice C.V. Bhaskar Reddy.
The court ruled that the government could not make such donations from the general fund. The bench urged Advocate General B.S. Prasad to advise his client against making exchequer offerings. The case was postponed until November 29.
recover the funds spent in accordance with the contested GOs. They were referring to the chief minister’s announcements regarding jewellery offerings in temples such as Bhadrakali, Veerabhadra Swamy, Venkateshwara Swamy in Tirumala, Padmavati Ammavaru in Tiruchanoor, and Kanaka Durga temple in Vijayawada.
Follow on Twitter | Posted by P N Sree Harsha | 
