The Haryana government today decided to take over the management of the ancient Shri Mata Chandi Devi Temple in Chandi Mandir in Panchkula district, following complaints against its priests, an official statement released here said.
The management of this temple will now be administered under Article 2 (h) of the Shri Mata Mansa Devi Shrine Act, 1991. A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of the state cabinet under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, the statement said.
"The decision to take over management of the Shri Mata Chandi Devi Temple was taken in the wake of numerous complaints against the administration, management and governance of the temple by the current group of 'pujaris', who acquired the temple after the death of former pujari who had executed a Will in favour of Pujari Shri Surat Giri and his successors," the release said.
Sufficient offerings are made in cash and kind in this temple by the devotees, but very little amount is being spent on the upkeep of the temple or in providing facilities to the pilgrims in or around the temple, it added.
"On the basis of the complaints, even an FIR was registered. The 'Khair' trees were also being sold without any authority of law and the trees were being cut in contravention of the instructions of the government," it said.
It was observed from the perusal of the file that according to earlier Jamabandi for 1936-37, this land was owned by Gram Panchayat, Chandi Mandir, and this present land was given to the Mandir by the sarpanch and other panches of the Gram Panchayat, the statement said.
This temple, connected with the 'Pandavas' and the state capital of Punjab and Haryana at Chandigarh, has derived its name from Chandimandir. Therefore, the management, governance and administration of this temple is taken over for the purpose of its development and growth, it said.
The state cabinet also decided to take over the management of the Shri Durga Mata Mandir at Banbhori in district Hisar.
The decision to take over the management of the temple was taken in view of the difficulties experienced by the pilgrims and devotees and the lack of facilities, the statement claimed.
The decision also aimed at putting an end to "open plundering" of the temple and sale of properties under the Haryana Shri Durga Mata Mandir, Banbhori Shrine Act, 2017, it said.
"At present, the management of the temple rests in the hands of family of a Pujari. The temple receives offerings worth Rs 14 to 15 crore annually and the whole income remains in the hands of one Pujari," it said.
Therefore, it was necessary to take over the management, control and governance of the temple to save the pilferage of income and property worth crores of rupees, the release said.
The temple does not maintain any record of the income and the family of the Pujari uses the whole income of the temple for their personal purposes, it claimed.
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