HC stay on Sri Chamundeshwari Kshetra Development Authority Act vacated, says Congress

KPCC spokesperson announces High Court's vacating of stay on Chamundeshwari Kshetra Development Authority Act, allowing Chief Minister's meeting.

Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) spokesperson M. Lakshmana has claimed that the High Court’s stay on the Sri Chamundeshwari Kshetra Development Authority Act had been vacated, paving way for Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to chair the first meeting of the authority atop Chamundi Hills on Tuesday.

Addressing a press conference in Mysuru on Monday, Mr. Lakshmana read out a letter by the Additional Advocate General N. Devadas addressed to the Principal Secretary, Department of Revenue (Muzrai), Government of Karnataka, pointing out that the High Court was probably not made aware of the notification that had already been brought into force. 

During a recent hearing, the government filed a memo appraising the court that the Act had been given effect. “The Hon’ble Court was pleased to order that the Act has been given effect before the interim order is passed by the Court and as such the interim order passed earlier is not continued. In these words, there is no stay of the Act now,” said the Additional Advocate General in the letter.

The High Court had passed an interim stay after Ms. Pramoda Devi of the erstwhile royal family of Mysore objected to the constitution of the Authority contending that the piece of legislation was an attempt by the State Government to “take over the ownership, control, and management of the Chamundeshwari Temple and other temples of Chamundi Hills under the garb of development”.

Ms. Pramoda Devi had also contended that Chamundeshwari temple and other temples of Chamundi Hills were among the “private” properties of the erstwhile Maharaja of Mysore as per the 1950 agreement with the Indian Union.

However, Mr. Lakshmana has questioned the erstwhile royal family’s claim over the Chamundi Hills and said the State government had decided to constitute the Sri Chamundi Kshetra Development Authority to safeguard Chamundi HIlls and provide basic amenities to the devotees visiting the temple.

The Authority had been constituted by the government in the wake of a demand by the stakeholders including environmentalists and residents atop Chamundi Hills, who approached the Chief Minister to protect the hills from becoming a “concrete jungle”.