Tribals Not Barred from Temple Management Bodies in Telangana Court Ruling
The Telangana High Court has ruled that non-tribals can serve on temple committees outside Scheduled Areas. This decision clarifies the distinct statutory frameworks governing tribal welfare and temple administration in Telangana.
Highlights
- •Non-Tribals Allowed in Temple Committees
- •Telangana High Court Ruling
- •Scheduled Areas vs Tribal Rights
- •Temple Administration Laws
Hyderabad, India – In a significant legal ruling, the Telangana High Court has declared that non-tribal members are not barred from serving on the management committees of temples located outside Scheduled Areas. The case centered around a writ petition initiated by the PESA grama sabha of Mallur village in Mulugu district, which opposed the inclusion of non-tribals in the renovation committee for the Sri Hemachala Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple at Malluru.
The petitioner, citing constitutional provisions and tribal welfare laws, asserted that only members from Scheduled Tribes should be eligible. However, Justice Surepalli Nanda dismissed these arguments, underscoring that the Telangana Charitable and Hindu Religious Institutions and Endowments Act, 1987 governs temple administration.
Temple Management and Legal Framework
The ruling clarified that the PESA framework applies to strengthening local self-governance in Scheduled Areas but does not extend to religious institutions governed separately. Furthermore, the Department of Endowments maintained that its notifications are issued in accordance with law, and the grama sabha has no statutory role in constituting temple committees. The court agreed, finding the notification fully compliant.
The dispute stemmed from a November 14, 2024, notification by the department regarding the renovation committee's composition for the mentioned temple, which ignored a local resolution that restricted appointments to tribal members only. The judge noted that such resolutions lack statutory backing and are not relevant to temple administration governed under distinct legislation.
The court further emphasized that the PESA rules and land transfer regulations do not apply to religious institutions managed independently by trustees appointed under the Endowments Act, affirming the separation of administrative roles between tribal rights and religious management.
