Jaipur, 30 October. Under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma, the state is focusing on developing religious sites and providing better facilities for devotees. In this regard, Chief Secretary V. Srinivas directed the planned development of temple lands and prioritised the facilities and care for pilgrims, especially senior citizens.
On Friday, Shri Srinivas chaired a review meeting of the Devasthan Department at the Secretariat. He directed the removal of encroachments on temple lands in the state and instructed the Revenue, Home and Devasthan Departments to act jointly.
Chief Secretary directed the provision of live viewing at the state’s major temples and special attention to arrangements there. He said a list of new temples would be prepared through all district collectors.
Shri Srinivas instructed the prioritised registration of trusts, filling vacant priest posts and reviewing the priest community. He emphasised transparency in managing donation funds and insisted that no irregularities should occur in departmental work.
Devasthan Department Secretary Mrs. Shuchi Tyagi stated that in FY 2026–27, under the Senior Citizen Pilgrimage Scheme, 22,265 pilgrims have been taken on pilgrimage. Of these, 20,591 were transported by 21 railcars to various pilgrimage sites and 1,674 were flown to see Pashupatinath.
Devasthan Commissioner Ms. Pragna Kularamani said the department manages 936 state temples and has 14,447 registered trusts. She also mentioned plans to make the registration and record‑change process online.
Relevant officials from the Devasthan Department were present at the meeting.
Isha/Mohan