The Karnataka government is considering a statewide scheme to make sure gold and jewellery owned by temples is properly accounted for and used to adorn the deities instead of sitting in storage, Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar said on Monday, according to Hindustan Times.
He was speaking at the Renuka Yellamma temple in Savadatti, Belagavi district. He said he had asked the religious endowments minister to explore using the roughly 42 kg of gold held by the shrine to adorn the deity.
"No room for concerns"
"Gold belonging to temples should be used for adorning the deities. Proper accounts must be maintained for the gold held by all temples. There should be no room for concerns about gold being kept in boxes and someone taking it away," Shivakumar said. "We are considering a special scheme during our government's tenure to ensure that temple jewellery is put to proper use."
He did not give details of how the scheme would work or when it would start.
Plans for the Yellamma temple
The government has set aside ₹215 crore for the overall development of the Yellamma temple complex, Shivakumar said, and plans better accommodation and free meals for devotees.
Other announcements
- A "Negilayogi" programme next year, under which the government would arrange tractor ploughing for poor farmers with less than 3 acres of land.
- An irrigation project worth more than ₹500 crore already under way in Savadatti.
- About ₹43 crore for development work in the constituency, including healthcare.
- Plans for 10,000 Bharat Jodo youth associations at the gram panchayat level across Karnataka.