THE HON’BLE SRI JUSTICE L.NARASIMHA REDDY W.P.No.26621 of 2005 Date:16.12.2005 Vadlamanu Sreenivas. --------PETITIONER The State of A.P., rep. By its Commissioner of Endowments, Hyderabad and others. ---------RESPONDENTS ORDER: The petitioner is a Junior Assistant in Annadana Samajam, Guntur, an institution covered by the provisions of the Andhra Pradesh Charitable and Hindu Religious Institutions & Endowments Act, 1987. Through orders, dated 07.10.2004, he was appointed as a Manager for the Peddavaram Group of Temples. One of the important Temples in this Group is Sri Ranganayaka Swamy Temple, Peddavaram. Through orders, dated 21.02.2005, the Regional Joint Commissioner of Endowments, Tirupati, kept one Mr. N.Chandra Sekhar Rao in additional charge of Sri Ranganayaka Swamy Temple. The petitioner challenged the same by filing an appeal before the Commissioner of Endowments, 1st respondent herein. Initially an order of stay was granted on 01.03.2005, but, later on, the appeal itself was rejected on 17.03.2005. Notwithstanding these changes, the management of Sri Ranganayaka Swamy Temple was restored to the petitioner through proceedings of the 1st respondent, dated 03.09.2005. Two days thereafter, another person, by name M.Sreenivasa Varma, was kept as Full Additional Charge of the post of Executive Officer of Sri Ranganayaka Swamy Temple. Obviously as a compensatory measure, the 1st respondent passed an order, dated 20.10.2005, placing the petitioner as Full Additional Charge of Nallapadu Group of Temples. Through the impugned order, dated 07.12.2005, the 1st respondent, took away the Nallapadu Group of Temples from the purview of the petitioner and placed the 3rd respondent in-charge of the same. The petitioner challenges the same in this Writ Petition. Heard the learned counsel for the petitioner and the learned Government Pleader for Endowments. A perusal of the facts narrated above discloses the manner in which the authorities of the Endowments Department have treated the Temples or their administration, almost as their personal fiefdom. The situation in other parts of the State is not substantially different. As and when an individual applies pressure or convinces the superior authority, orders posting such persons as in-charge of Management are passed. The persons, so appointed, are more conscious of their powers, and hardly feel any responsibility to improve or properly manage the Temples. The results are manifesting themselves at various places. Within a span of one year, the composition of the Temples or Groups, for which the petitioner was kept in-charge, was changed nearly four to five times. It is not as if any retirements have taken place or any substantial change in the relevant provisions of law occurred. The fact that each and every employee was trying his level best to become in-charge of as many Temples as possible, particularly those with considerable income, discloses the race that is going on in the Department. The recent exercise of the Government in annulling all the steps taken by the then Commissioner indicates the magnitude of the problem. A comprehensive and foolproof policy needs to be formulated. Any complacency in this regard is likely to mar the reputation of Temples as sources of spirituality, learning, character and conduct. If the present trend continues, they are proved to be treated as mere sources of income. Be that as it may, the principal concern of the petitioner can be only to receive the salary permissible for his post. If the petitioner is of the view that with the present composition of Temples, there is any likelihood of his not being paid the salary, he can certainly transfer to his parent organization viz., Anndana Samajam. For the foregoing reasons, the Writ Petition is disposed of, directing the Government of Andhra Pradesh, rep. by its Secretary, Endowments Department, to take a comprehensive, consistent and meaningful view of the entire matter and ensure that Managers or Executive Officers, as the case may be, are appointed to the Temples under the control of the State, in such a way as to result in proper administration for a reasonably long period, and they, in turn, promote the values, which the concerned Temple stands for. The first respondent is directed to repatriate the petitioner to his parent organization, without any loss of time, or post him to any other viable groups of Temples, if it emerges that the income of the Temples, which are under the Management of the petitioner, at present is not sufficient to meet his salary bill. There shall be no order as to costs. _________ 16.12.2005 Note: Copy to be marked to the Secretary, Endowments Department, Government of Andhra Pradesh, Hyderabad. (B/o) Jsu