Administrator General And Official Trustee Of Tamil Nadu v. Nil
A.No.1618 of 2026 in O.P.No.100 of 1954 R. SURESH KUMAR, J.
The prayer sought in this application is to permit the payment of actual bill submitted by the Temple Authority for all the three festivals, subject to the upper limit of Rs.15,000/- (Rupees Fifteen Thousand Only) per annum towards Vinayaka Chaturthi Festival, Rs.75,000/- (Rupees Seventy Five Thousand Only) per annum towards the Brahmotsavam and Rs.25,000/- (Rupees Twenty Five Thousand Only) per annum towards the Thirugnansambandar Festival to be conducted at Arulmigu Sree Thiruvalleeswarar and Jagadambigai Shrine, Padi, from and out of the funds of Salem Sambandam Pillai Trust Estate or in the alternative, suitably enhance the sanctioned amount in proportion to the prevailing costs with effect from the date of the order.
2. A report has been submitted in support of this application by the learned Administrator General and Official Trustee (AG & OT) dated 02.04.2026. Relying upon the said report, the learned AG & OT would submit that, as per the will of the creator of the Estate called the Salem Sambandam Pillai Trust Estate, for the three Festivals to be conducted in Temple called Arulmigu Sree
Thiruvalleeswarar and Jagadambigai Shrine, Padi, on three occasions, namely (i) Vinayaka Chaturthi (ii) Brahmotsavam for three days and (iii) Thirugnansambandar Festival, in the year 1940, very meager amount, based on the cost at that period, has been fixed to be released from the Charities for performing these Festivals. Subsequently, in the year 1976, it was fixed at Rs.75/-, Rs.850/- and Rs.750/- respectively and subsequently, in the year 1999, it has further been enhanced to be Rs.1800/-, Rs.12,000/- and Rs.8,000/- respectively. The said amount is being released every year. However, this year, as the demand has been consistently made by the Organizers of these Festivals, because of the cost escalation, in order to meet out the necessary expenditure to perform these Festivals, they seek enhancement considerably for these three Festivals to be performed.
3. Therefore, the learned AG & OT has made a request through the report to enhance the amount to the following effect: (i) for Vinayaka Chaturthi, from Rs.1800/- to Rs.15,000/- (ii) for Brahmotsavam for three days, from Rs.12,000/- to Rs.75,000/- and (iii) for Thirugnansambandar Festival, from Rs.8,000/- to Rs.25,000/-.
4. This Court has considered the submissions made by the learned AG & OT and though there had been cost escalation over the years, certainly, the amount fixed in the year 1999, that is twenty seven years before, cannot meet the present days' expenses, but, at the same time, the amount sought by the learned AG & OT, that has been figured in the report, in the considered opinion of this Court, is slightly on the higher side.
5. Therefore, considering the present day cost escalation and having taken into account all the three Festivals to be performed in the said Temples, which are the sole object of the Charities, this Court deem it appropriate to decide releasing the following enhanced funds to the following effect:- (i) For Vinayaka Chaturthi, funds be enhanced from Rs.1800/- to Rs.10,000/- (ii) for Brahmotsavam for three days, funds be enhanced from Rs.12,000/- to Rs.40,000/- and (iii) for Thirugnansambandar Festival, funds be enhanced from Rs.8000/- to Rs.15,000/-.
6. It is made clear that, in respect of these enhanced amounts being released from this year, the learned AG & OT shall ensure that the expenses to be incurred by the Organizers of these Festivals at the Temple shall strictly maintain the accounts and the funds shall be released on the original cost bills to 1be produced in this regard to the satisfaction of the learned AG & OT.
7. Accordingly, this application is ordered.
06.04.2026 (drm)
R. SURESH KUMAR, J.
(drm) A.No.1618 of 2026 in O.P.No.100 of 1954 06.04.2026