About Us
The management and control of the temples and administration
of their endowment has been recognized as one of the primary responsibilities
of the State. A number of measures have been undertaken prior to the year
1925 for efficient control and supervision of the administration of the
Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments.
In Act 1 of 1925, the Government constituted the Hindu
Religious and Charitable Endowments Board consisting of a President and
two to four Commissioners nominated by the Government to function as a
statutory body. Subsequently Act 1 of 1925 was repealed by the Act 2 of
1927, which was followed by several modifications up to 1951. In order
to streamline the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Board, a Special
Officer (Thiru. R.V. Krishna Iyer ) was appointed in the year 1940.
The Special Officer recommended that the Government may
administer the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments instead of the
Board. The non-official committee appointed in the year 1942 under the
Chairmanship of Thiru. P. Venkataramana Rao Naidu, a Retired Judge of
High Court of Judicature, Madras recommended among other things that it
would be advantageous to convert Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments
Board into a Government administration. Accepting the above recommendation,
the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Act, 1951 was enacted provincialising
the administration of the Hindu Religious Institutions. Comprehensive
amendments have been made to this Act and Tamilnadu Hindu Religious and
Charitable Endowments Act XXII of 1959 came into force with effect from
1st January 1960.
ii) With a view to oversee the administration of Hindu
Religious and Charitable Endowments in a proper manner, it was decided
in the year 1991, that Religious and spiritual leaders should be involved
in the proper maintenance and administration of Hindu and Jain Temples
and Charitable Endowments and that their suggestions and guidance should
be obtained regarding the administration of Charitable Endowments. Accordingly,
many amendments were brought to the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments
Act, 1959.
iii) As a result of this, the Amendment Act, 1991 (Amended
Act 46/91) was enacted. As per the Amendment Act, a two-tier system (i.e.)
Temple Administration Board at State level and District Committees at
District level was established. This Amendment Act came into force on
13-12-1991.
iv) The Government which came to power during 1996, disbanded
the Temple Administration Board and District Committees and entrusted
the administration of Hindu Religious Institutions with the Commissioner
and the Subordinate Officers so as to make it as it existed prior to the
Amendment Act, 1991 and enacted Amendment Act, 1996 (Tamil Nadu Amended
Act 39/1996). This Act is in force since 9-12-1996. |