Chief Justice S.V. Gangapurwala and Justice P.D. Audikesavalu wondered why there was a delay in depositing the money in the temple account despite the court having given the government only a month’s time to do so.

The Madras High Court on Wednesday questioned the Tamil Nadu government for not having complied with an order passed by the court on March 30 this year, directing it to deposit an advance amount as well as arrears of monthly rents, at the rate of ₹1.6 lakh from July 2020, to the Ardhanareeswarar Temple in Veeracholapuram, for constructing the Kallakurichi Collectorate and other buildings on temple property.

Chief Justice S.V. Gangapurwala and Justice P.D. Audikesavalu wondered why there was a delay in depositing the money in the temple account despite the court having given the government only a month’s time to do so. Though Advocate General R. Shunmugasundaram sought two more months’ time to deposit the amount, the judges refused to grant such a long time and insisted that the payment be made in the next four weeks.

The judges adjourned, by a month, a public interest litigation petition filed by S. Deiveegan, former chairman of the Board of Trustees of the temple, complaining that the government had so far not paid the arrears of ₹57.60 lakh as ordered by the court and had also not taken any steps to renovate the temple, now in a dilapidated condition. Advocate N.G.R. Prasad argued the case on behalf of the petitioner.