Mahamagam: HC orders to include devotees in panel

CHENNAI: With Tamil Nadu government allocating Rs 260 crore for the famed Kumbakonam Mahamagam festival arriving in February 2016, and lakhs being spent on renovation and desilting works, Madras high court has favoured inclusion of devotees and neutral persons outside the government to keep a tab on the works.
The first bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice Pushpa Satyanarayana said committees should be formed with representatives of devotees and priests, and there should be mechanism to entertain suggestions and complaints.
The once-in-12-years spectacle in the temple town of Kumbakonam is scheduled to take place on February 26, 2016, and more than 40 lakh devotees are expected to take holy dip in the Mahamagam tank that day. Tamil Nadu government has allotted Rs 260 crore for the purpose and a large number of temples and tanks in Thanjavur-Kumbakonam regions are undergoing renovations, amidst complaints that ancient idols and temples are suffering damage due to faulty renovation techniques.
The present PIL was filed by advocate Elephant Rajendran who said a committee headed by a judge of the high court should be formed to monitor the manner the allotted funds are spent.
Alleging that authorities had not clear canals and water sources running in Kumbakonam, he said authorities were planning to carry out all important works just a month before the festival in a hasty manner. Such substandard works will collapse immediately after the festival, he said demanding a monitoring committee by the court. The committee shall be headed by a retired judge and its ca have IAS and IPS officers, besides auditors, as its members, he said.
On Tuesday, the first bench also sought to know as to why unauthorised buildings buildings were sealed even after being detected by authorities. It also allowed the PIL-petitioner to raise the issue relating to 44 tanks, though it was subject matter of another writ petition pending in the court already.
On being informed that officers competent to give government’s views on the matter was present in court, the judges directed the department’s principal secretary to depute an “fully familiar and authorized to take decisions” to be personally present in court on December 10, when the matter would be taken up for further hearing.
In February 1992, when the then chief minister Jayalalithaa and her friend N Sasikalaa were taking a holy dip at the Mahamagam tank, a stampede occurred killing at least 50 people. Nearly 75 others suffered injuries. Mahamagam tank covers 6.2 acres and is surrounded by 16 small mandapams. There are 21 wells inside the tank.