Andhra Pradesh on Monday brought all the temples coming under the purview of the Endowments Department under a unified “Temple Management System” (TMS).
Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy launched TMS at his camp office to help in streamlining and eliminating several ills plaguing the temples.
“The new system would help in eliminating corruption in temples, ensuring clean and transparent policies,” he said.
Other advantages of the system include information and online services for devotees, temple profiles, asset management, calendars, details of income and expenses.
“The devotees will have an opportunity to offer gifts through e-hundi through QR code,” an official said.
The online payment system in TMS will be operated by the Union Bank of India and the initial services will start at Annavaram temple on a trial basis.
By this month end, online payments system will be made available at 11 major temples.
Commemorating the occasion, Union Bank officials scanned a QR code to offer Rs 10,116 to Annavaram temple via e-hundi.
The release of TMS development comes at a time when there are calls for “release of temples from the stranglehold” of Endowment Departments.
Recently, senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Subramanian Swamy said that four lakh temples across the country are in the control of state governments.
“No churches, no mosques are in the hands of the government. Only the Hindu temples are targeted, the latest being the BJP’s takeover of 53 temples, including Badrinath and Kedarnath in Uttarakhand,” he said, claiming that he fought for the temples and the court gave half of the demands he made, one of which included temples’ treasury and jewellery not being in the hands of the government but of the trustees and priests.
