CHENNAI: While the Tamil Nadu government has announced that the appointment of trustees in all HR&CE temples will be completed by May 2024, the Madras High Court on Monday summoned the Commissioner and the Officer on Special Duty (OSD) of Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment department to appear in person on August 31 to assist the court in the case related to the appointment of trustees.

Hearing a bunch of pleas related to the appointment of trustees in HR&CE temples, the division bench comprising R Mahadevan and PD Audikesavalu directed the HR&CE department to submit a monthly report on the progress regarding the appointment of trustees and insisted that the applications for the trustees examination should be received only through online mode and use the TNeGA e-Seva centers for this purpose.

During the course of the hearing, Special Public Prosecutor Arun Natarajan representing HR&CE assured that district committees have been formed in all 38 districts regarding the selection of trustees and that the trustees will be appointed by May 2024.

Intervening this, the bench noted that while the order was issued in 2021 to appoint trustees within 12 weeks, time was requested till May 2024.