Temples are for people, not someone's personal property, says Tamil Nadu CM Stalin
Chennai (PTI): Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Sunday asserted temples are meant for the public and cannot be someone's personal property.
He said some people unable to stand the various welfare measures taken by the state Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) department, including appointing 'archakas' (priests) from all castes, were trying to malign the DMK government with baseless allegations.
The Chief Minister presided over a mass marriage of 31 couples at a prominent city temple here and distributed 'seervarisai' -- the range of items given to married couples.
The event was held at the Arulmigu Maruntheeswarar Temple at Thiruvanmiyur here.
"Whether it is monarchy or democracy, temples are for people only. They are for the public only, irrespective of any kind of rule. Shrines are not the personal property of someone. This (HR&CE) department was created during the Justice Party rule only to change that situation (of temples being in individuals' control)," he said.
Recalling the DMK's contributions in this sector, he said more temples were consecrated in the party's past regimes headed by the late M Karunanidhi.
Among others, the present government has reclaimed Rs 3,700 crore worth of encroached temple lands while a woman has been appointed as priest, even as men from all castes have been appointed as 'archakas' in temple, fulfilling the wish of reformist leader 'Periyar' E V Ramasamy, the Chief Minister added.
Some forces opposed to unity were creating roadblocks but the government was facing them legally, Stalin said in an apparent reference to critics of such measures.
"Some people are unable to tolerate these. That is why they are indulging in mudslinging and spreading falsehoods. They don't have anything to do politics over, and therefore are using religion to make allegations against us. They don't have any proof," he added.
The mass marriage was held in line with an announcement made in the 2022-23 Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) department grants in the state Assembly, an official release said. The HR&CE department manages temples in the state.
The Chief Minister presided over the marriage event and presented the 'seervarisai,' comprising among others, cot and utensils.
Across the state, 217 couples got married under the scheme on Sunday.
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Karnataka Milk Federation enters Delhi-NCR, offers competitive pricing on Nandini products
New Delhi, Nov 21: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday launched the Karnataka Milk Federation's (KMF) Nandini brand milk products in the Delhi-NCR market, pricing them marginally lower than competitors to gain a foothold in the region.
The cooperative will retail four cow milk variants, curd, and buttermilk from Friday, with competitive pricing that undercuts established players like Mother Dairy and Amul.
Cow milk will be sold at Rs 56 per litre, full Cream Milk at Rs 67 per litre, Standardised Milk at Rs 61 per litre, Toned Milk at Rs 55 per litre, and curd at Rs 74 per kg.
"We have surplus milk in the state. KMF along with Mandya Milk Union will market surplus milk of 3-4 lakh litres per day in Delhi-NCR," Siddaramaiah told reporters after launching the products.
The federation currently collects 100 lakh litres of milk daily, with local consumption at 60 lakh litres, leaving a surplus of 40 lakh litres for expansion into new markets.
However, the Chief Minister acknowledged the challenges of transporting milk over 2,500 km, which takes 50-54 hours.
There is a need to find new markets for surplus milk and gradually the KMF should be able to sell 5-6 lakh litres per day in Delhi-NCR, he added.
KMF Chairman LBP Bheemanaik assured that milk quality would be maintained during transit.
The federation has already partnered with 40 dealers in the Delhi-NCR region to facilitate sales, he added.
With a robust infrastructure of 26.76 lakh milk producers, 15,737 dairy cooperative societies, and 15 district milk unions, KMF has a turnover of Rs 25,000 crore and exports dairy products to over 25 countries.
State Animal Husbandry Minister K Venkatesh and Agriculture Minister N Cheluvarayaswamy were present at the product launch.
ದೇಶದ ಹಾಲು ಉತ್ಪಾದನೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಗುಜರಾತ್ ಮೊದಲ ಸ್ಥಾನದಲ್ಲಿದ್ದರೆ, ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ ಎರಡನೇ ಸ್ಥಾನದಲ್ಲಿದೆ.
— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) November 21, 2024
ದೆಹಲಿ ನಗರದಲ್ಲಿ ಕೆ.ಎಂ.ಎಫ್ ಮತ್ತು ಮಂಡ್ಯ ಹಾಲು ಒಕ್ಕೂಟಗಳು ಸೇರಿಕೊಂಡು ವಿವಿಧ ಶ್ರೇಣಿಯ ಹಾಲನ್ನು ಮಾರುಕಟ್ಟೆಗೆ ಬಿಡುಗಡೆ ಮಾಡಿವೆ. ದೆಹಲಿಯ ನಿವಾಸಿಗಳಿಂದ ನಂದಿನಿ ಉತ್ಪನ್ನಗಳಿಗೆ ಅತ್ಯುತ್ತಮ ಸ್ಪಂದನೆ ದೊರೆಯಲಿದೆ ಎಂಬ ವಿಶ್ವಾಸ ನನಗಿದೆ.… pic.twitter.com/yUmTQknGzD
