Two days after the Karnataka assembly passed the Hindu Religious Institutions & Charitable Endowment (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which rejigged existing matrix to collect more taxes from earnings of state-owned temples, the contentious bill fell through in legislative council Friday, with BJP and JD(S) joining forces to defeat it in a potential display of solidarity ahead of Lok Sabha elections.
Political Maneuvering in Karnataka Legislative Council
The Congress had ensured the smooth passage of the bill in the assembly as it has a majority in the Lower House. However, the BJP-JD(S) combine, taking advantage of their majority in the Upper House, threw a spanner in the works of the government and thwarted the proposal. The bill was rejected by a voice vote conducted by deputy chairperson M K Parnesh.In the 75-member legislative council, BJP has 35 members, including the chairperson, while JD(S) has eight. Congress has 29 members, besides an independent. Two seats are currently vacant.
Though existing rules allow the government to reintroduce a bill in the assembly, Congress sources suggested the legislation could be pushed to the backburner until after LS polls and taken up again during the monsoon session in June.
Contentious Provisions of the BillWhile the government reasoned that the bill, once enacted into law, would enable it to take a portion of revenues from temples with higher earnings and reallocate the funds to those with lower earnings, the BJP-JD(S) combine termed the move “anti-Hindu” and a ploy to seize a significant portion of temple revenues.Under the existing law, temples are divided into three categories based on revenues they generate. Temples earning more than Rs 25 lakh are classified as Grade A, those earning between Rs 5 lakh and Rs 25 lakh fall in Grade B while the ones with earnings below Rs 5 lakh are designated as Grade C. The state has approximately 34,000 Grade C temples, besides 250 Grade B, and 67 Grade A temples.
Currently, the government is allowed to allocate 5% of Grade B revenues and 10% of Grade A revenues to Grade C temples for their upkeep. The new legislation mandates muzrai temples with annual revenues of over Rs 1 crore to contribute 10% of their income to the common pool (Dharmik Parishad) and 5% to be paid by shrines with revenues of Rs 10 lakh to Rs 1 crore, & redistribute it among Grade C temples.
Political Reactions
Minister for Transport, Ramalinga Reddy, alleged that BJP is ‘anti-Hindu’ adding that the party which was in power in 2011 had made the amendments to the Bill.
Minister for Health, Dinesh Gundu Rao, said that the BJP should realize the Bill is for the benefit of the temples.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that the allegations regarding the amendments to the Bill “appear to be misrepresented”, “aiming only at misleading the public” and “polarizing people along communal lines for political leverage.”
Karnataka government passed ‘Karnataka Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments Bill 2024’ that mandates the state to collect 10 per cent tax from temples that have revenues exceeding Rs 1 crore and 5 per cent from those with revenues ranging between Rs 10 lakh and Rs 1 crore.
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