Temples in Karnataka lost Rs 600 cr during lockdown: Minister
Mangaluru: The temples coming under the Muzrai department in Karnataka suffered a loss of Rs 600 crore revenue during the lockdown period due to the pandemic, state Muzrai Minister Kota Srinivas Poojary said Monday.
Addressing reporters here, he said the Kollur Sri Mookambika temple alone lost revenue of at least Rs 14 crore during April and May.
Around 300 A and B grade temples under Muzrai (Hindu religious institutions and charitable endowments) department in the state lost around 35 percent of their annual income, he said.
The state government had earlier allowed temples to reopen from Monday but later postponed it to June 8 in keeping with the new directions of the Centre.
The minister said the governments 'Saptapadi mass marriage program in temples, postponed due to the lockdown, will be held as per the new guidelines issued by the government.
Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa has given permission to hold the program.
The marriages are proposed to be held in batches with 50 people in attendance at different timings, he said.
The minister said around five lakh food packets were distributed from temples in Dakshina Kannada during the lockdown period.
Poojary, Dakshina Kannada district-in-charge, said all precautionary measures have been taken ahead of the monsoon to protect lives and property in the district in view of the forecast of a heavy downpour.
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Low visibility prevents PM’s helicopter from landing in Taherpur, Modi returns to Kolkata airport
Kolkata (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s helicopter failed to land at the Taherpur helipad in West Bengal owing to low visibility on account of dense fog in the area on Saturday, an official said.
The PM’s chopper made a U-turn after hovering over the helipad ground for a while and returned to the Kolkata airport, he said.
Till reports last received, the Prime Minister was waiting at the airport for further updates on the weather situation.
It wasn’t immediately clear if Modi would reach the rally venue district by road or whether he would wait for the weather to clear up and make another attempt to reach Taherpur by the aerial route, the official said.
Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister reached Kolkata at around 10.40 am and took a chopper onward to Taherpur in Nadia district, where he is scheduled to hold an administrative programme to launch highway projects in West Bengal, followed by a political rally of the BJP, titled Parivartan Sankalpa Sabha, which he is supposed to address.
