Govt to set up a museum inside Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple for public gaze of treasures
The MLAs said that the government should not allow any attempt by the Supreme Court to take control of the temple.
Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said that the state government is planning to set up a museum inside Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple in Thiruvananthapuram for the public viewing of the rare treasures the temple has. The government will seek the permission of the Supreme Court to do so as Supreme Court had already appointed a committee to look into the affairs of the temple.
"We will go forward only if the court gives the government permission," said Oommen Chandy. At present, the treasures at Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple is estimated to be more than Rs. 1 lakh crores.
On Wednesday, both UDF and LDF MLAs in the assembly had urged the government to take over the administration of Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple. The MLAs said that the government should not allow any attempt by the Supreme Court to take control of the temple. They insisted that a law should be enacted immediately to take over the control of the temple.
"In a democratic set up, it not advisable to leave the administration of the temple to a supreme court appointed committee. The committee which governs the temple should be decided by the government," said Congress MLA K Muraleedharan. CPI-M MLA A K Balan also expressed the same view saying that the government should not wait long to enact a legislation to take control of the temple. "There won't be any legal hurdles in enacting such a law," said Balan.
But V S Sivakumar, the Devaswom minister-in-charge of governing the temples in the state said that government won't take hasty decision in enacting such a law. Omman Chandy was also of the opinion that government need not have to take control of the temple instead it should opt for keeping the treasures of the temple in a museum protected by the government.
The case regarding Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple is coming up before the Supreme Court on August 9, 2014. As of now, the supreme court appointed committee is taking stock of the wealth of temple to submit it report before the court. Sivakumar said that the cabinet will decide on the stand to be taken in court by next month.