E-Paper
Legal action only against defamatory remarks, not on criticism: HR&CE Minister
Legal action only against defamatory remarks, not on criticism: HR&CE Minister
Prefer HTon Google
Chennai, The Tamil Nadu government enforces legal action solely against vulgarity, defamation, and derogatory remarks aimed at leaders, not for constructive political criticism, HR & CE Minister S Ramesh said on Friday.
The remarks came after he inaugurated an in-house 'prasadam' preparation and sales counter at the Thiruvallikkeni Parthasarathy Temple.
"We do not arrest anyone for criticism... but action will be taken if remarks are vulgar and defamatory," the minister clarified while addressing the media.
Highlighting a shift away from third-party contractors, over 35 temples in the state are now preparing fresh prasadam directly on their premises, he noted. This is to address quality-related complaints, he said.
Reviewing the department's progress, the minister stated that 106 budget announcements are being actively executed.
Key welfare measures rolled out include expanding the 'Annadhanam' scheme to 12 more temples, extending maternity leave for temple staff from nine to 12 months, and increasing the earned leave encashment limit to 240 days. Automatic wheelchairs are also being provided for disabled devotees in large temples.
Targeting the previous administration's financial management, he pointed out a backlog of over ₹400 crore in unpaid dues for construction projects initiated without adequate fund allocation. The current government is now strictly prioritising essential pilgrim amenities and consecration works.
On the technology front, private agencies are conducting feasibility studies on crowd and queue management before rolling out a statewide online darshan booking system. Strategic CCTV installations are also being evaluated, Ramesh said.
With northeast monsoon battering Tamil Nadu, the minister assured that field personnel are actively clearing waterlogging in temple premises.
Emphasising transparency, he added that the department is actively addressing public grievances and issuing real-time clarifications via its official social media channels within hours of issues being reported.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
