Thiruvanathapuram: Temple boards in Kerala have received a letter from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) seeking details of the stock of gold in their possession, a temple board official said yesterday. A top official of the famous Guruvayoor Devasom Board said a letter has been received from the RBI seeking details of gold stocks it holds. “I have passed on the letter to the managing committee of the temple, as all policy decisions are taken by the committee,” the temple official said. The majority of temples in the state comes under the five different Devasom Boards, of which the Travancore Devasom Board is the biggest, with the famous Sabarimala temple falling within its jurisdiction. Regional Director Salim Gangadharan of the RBI confirmed that a letter has been sent, but clarified: “The RBI has no plans to buy gold, and this exercise is nothing but part of a statistical exercise.” Incidentally, in July 2011 an apex court committee stumbled upon six vaults at the Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple in the heart of the state capital. With only vault B left yet unopened, the treasure found in the five vaults has been estimated at over Rs1 lakh crore.
Waqf amendment bill cleared
New Delhi: Parliament yesterday approved the Waqf Amendment Bill that aims to make properties under the Waqf Board more commercially viable. The bill, passed by the Rajya Sabha on August 20, was passed by the Lok Sabha yesterday. According to the bill, the government will maintain the record of Waqf properties and extend their lease period to a maximum of 30 years. As per data, there are around four lakh registered Waqf properties across the country. If these are developed, more income can be generated, the government said. Minority Affairs Minister K Rahman Khan said the Waqf Amendment Bill, 2010, will ensure proper commercial utilisation of Waqf property and generate revenue for socio-economic development of the entire Muslim community. The bill also aims to strengthen Waqf institutions and streamline their functioning. The bill was referred to a select committee of Rajya Sabha on August 27, 2010.
RS okays judges’ appointments bill
New Delhi: The Rajya Sabha yesterday passed the constitutional amendment bill that seeks to create a judicial appointments commission for making recommendations on appointments in the higher judiciary. The Constitution (120th Amendment) Bill bill was passed after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies staged a walkout. Earlier, while replying to the debate on the bill, Law Minister Kapil Sibal said that the government wanted a participative process with the judiciary so that the right kind of people were appointed in higher judiciary. “We in the government intend to improve the system. We are not here to interfere but to make it more participative,” Sibal said.
Agencies
