Chennai, Jan 21 (IANS): The Tamil Nadu government will be amending the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Act. An advisory committee meeting of the HR&CE department held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has decided to amend the present HR&CE Act.

The meeting was held on Thursday. It is to be noted that the HR&CE department is presently functioning according to the HR&CE Act of 1959.

The advisory committee meeting of the HR&CE department will be publishing Sthalapuranas, rare books, and will digitalise rare books and sell them to devotees. The department will also organise religious discourses, spiritual classes, etc., and known Tamil author and scholar Suki Sivam will be given charge while Kundragudi Ponnambala Adigalar will be responsible for the publication of the department.

The department will also publish the Agamas based on which historical temples are built and the publication will be both in English and Tamil. The HR&CE department will be organising spiritual discourses and religious discussions to inculcate the value of spirituality and dharma among the youths, the department advisory meeting said.

The HR&CE department will also fully computerise the services available to the devotees in temples. Non-hereditary trustees will be appointed for temples under HR&CE that have an annual turnover of more than Rs ten lakh.

The department will also increase its bid to prevent encroachments and also fight legally to evict the encroachers.