Date:22/04/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/04/22/stories/2007042210110300.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Endowments Bill gets all-round support

Special Correspondent

Temples' Protection Committee holds open debate

State flayed for failing to protect temple properties

HYDERABAD: A majority of speakers at the `open debate' on the Endowments Amendment Bill, organised by the Temples' Protection Committee here on Saturday supported it, as the legislation partly seeks to meet the long-pending demands of archakas.

M.V. Soundararajan, convener, held the debate, as the Bill was referred to the Select Committee on April 9 without any discussion in the Assembly.

Speakers were M. Satyanarayana Reddy, Telangana Rashtra Samiti MLA, N.V.S.S. Prabhakar, convener, BJP's Temples' Properties Protection Committee, M. Kamalakar Sarma, secretary, Temples Protection Committee, Basaveshwar Rao, retired Deputy Endowments Commissioner, A. Balaji, general secretary, Andhra Pradesh Temple Employees' Association.

Sitaramacharyulu, archakas of Bhadrachalam and Rajhumndry temples, and Archaka Samakhya leaders Atreyababu, Nandishwar and G. Upendra Sarma spoke.

They hailed the Bill and attacked the Government for the department's shortcomings.