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Kerala Plans New Law to Expand Temple Board Powers and Curb Trustees
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CNBC TV18•12-10-2026, 17:29
Kerala Plans New Law to Expand Temple Board Powers and Curb Trustees
- •Kerala government plans to introduce a comprehensive bill in the next Assembly session to reform the administration of temples under the Malabar Devaswom Board.
- •The proposed legislation aims to expand the board's administrative powers while reducing the role and control of temple trustees.
- •Devaswom Minister K Muraleedharan stated that out of 1,403 temples overseen by the board, only 115 generate income, with the rest relying entirely on government funding.
- •A separate bill, the Madras Hindu Religious Endowments (Amendment) Bill, 2026, was moved to change the accounting and audit year from the Fasli year to the financial year.
Key Questions Answered
Kerala plans to introduce a comprehensive bill in the next Assembly session to expand the Malabar Devaswom Board's administrative powers while curbing the powers and role of temple trustees.
The bill proposes changing the accounting and audit year for religious institutions from the Fasli year to the financial year to better align with the state government's accounting system.
The board oversees 1,403 temples, but only 115 generate income, while the remaining temples depend entirely on government funding.
