The Madras High Court has upheld the constitutional validity of an amendment empowering the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) department Commissioner to transfer temple staff from one temple to another. The court held that no illegality whatsoever can be attributed with respect to the amendment.
First Division Bench of Chief Justice Munishwar Nath Bhandari and Justice D. Bharatha Chakravarthy concurred with Advocate- General R. Shunmugasundaram that the amendment made to Rule 17 of the Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious Institutions Employees (Conditions of Service) Rules, 2020 was well within the powers of the government.
The Bench stated that the October 2021 amendment, challenged by the office-bearers of Tamil Nadu Senior Grade Temple Staff Association in Madurai, does not violate any of the rights of the temple employees and that it had been made only pursuant to a series of orders passed by the High Court in temple-related cases.
.jpg?w=600)
