Vidhi Codex

*THE ODISHA HINDU RELIGIOUS ENDOWMENTS ACT, 1951

The ODISHA HINDU RELIGIOUS ENDOWMENTS ACT, 1951

Civil195172 of 72 sections available

The Odisha Hindu Religious Endowments Act, 1951, establishes a comprehensive legal framework for the administration and governance of Hindu public religious institutions, such as temples and maths, within the state of Odisha. The Act creates a regulatory hierarchy, headed by the Commissioner of Endowments, to oversee the management of these institutions, their financial assets, and their properties. It mandates strict accountability for trustees, regulates the sale or transfer of temple property, and provides mechanisms for settling administrative disputes. For the ordinary citizen, this law ensures that religious endowments are preserved and utilized for their intended spiritual and charitable purposes, preventing mismanagement or misappropriation of public religious assets.

Start reading →Read full ActSections
  1. 0. Preamble
  2. 1. Short title, extent, application and commencement
  3. 2. Power to extend Act to Jain or Buddhist Institutions and Endowments
  4. 3. Definitions
  5. 4. Appointment of Commissioner
  6. 5. Appointment of Deputy and Assistant Commissioners
  7. 6. Conditions of services of Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner, etc.
  8. 7. Powers and Duties of Commissioner
  9. 8. Powers and Duties of the Deputy and Assistant Commissioners
  10. 9. Power of Commissioner to call for Records and Pass Orders
  11. 10. R.
  12. 12. Power to enter Religious Institutions
  13. 13. Trustee bound to obey orders issued under the act
  14. 14. Care required of Trustee and his Powers :
  15. 15. Preparation of Register for all Institutions
  16. 16. Annual Verification of the Register :
  17. 17. Trustee to furnish accounts, returns, etc.
  18. 18. Inspection of Property and Documents
  19. 19. Alienation of immovable trust Property
  20. 20. Authority of Trustee to incur expenditure for securing the health, safety or convenience of pilgrims and worshippers
  21. 21. Enforcement of service or charity in certain cases :
  22. 22. Power of Trustee of Math or Temple over Trustees of specific Endowments
  23. 23. Trustee of the Math or Temple and shall obey all lawful orders issued by him.
  24. 24. Resumption and re-grant of inam granted for the performance of any charity or service connected with a Math or Temple in case of alienation of the inam or of failure to perform the charity or service
  25. 25. Recovery of immovable trust Property unlawfully alienated :
  26. 27. Non-hereditary Trustees, their number and appointment
  27. 28. Power of Commissioner to suspend, remove or dismiss Trustees
  28. 30. Filing up of Vacancies in the Office of hereditary Trustee
  29. 31. Appointment of Office-holders and Servants in Religious Institutions :
  30. 32. Punishment of Office-holders and Servants in Religious Institution
  31. 33. Office-holders and Servants of temples, not to be in possession of jewels or other valuable articles except under conditions
  32. 34. Fixing of standard scales of expenditure
  33. 35. Disqualification of hereditary Trustees :
  34. 36. Filling up of Vacancies :
  35. 37. Fixing of standard scales of expenditure
  36. 38. Omitted
  37. 39. Appointment of successors by hereditary Trustees
  38. 40. Omitted
  39. 41. Assistant Commissioner to decide certain disputes and matters
  40. 42. Power to frame schemes] :
  41. 43. Cypres application for funds :
  42. 44. and all persons having interest.
  43. 45. Omitted
  44. 52. Appointment of salaried Executive Officer
  45. 53. Term of Office and duties of Executive Officer
  46. 54. Removal of Executive Officer
  47. 55. Fixing of standard scale of expenditure
  48. 56. Control of Collector, Assistant Commissioner and Endowment Commissioner :
  49. 57. Budget of Religious Institutions
  50. 58. Accounts and Audit
  51. 59. Authority to whom Audit Report is to be submitted
  52. 60. Contents of Audit Report
  53. 61. Rectification of defects disclosed in audit and order of surcharge against Trustee
  54. 62. Application of the provisions of this Chapter
  55. 63. Constitution of the Endowment Fund
  56. 64. Costs of legal proceedings
  57. 65. Assessment and recovery of contribution and costs and expenses :
  58. 66. Contribution not to be levied for more than six years immediately preceding the year in which notice of assessment is issued
  59. 67. Public Officer to furnish copies of or extracts from certain documents
  60. 68. Putting Trustee or Executive Officer in possession
  61. 69. Notice by Court and cost of proceedings :
  62. 70. Penalty for refusal by Trustee to comply with provisions of the Act
  63. 71. Court-fees to be paid as prescribed in Schedules and altered from time to time
  64. 72. Saving of established usage
  65. 73. Bar of suits in respect of administration of Religious Institutional :
  66. 74. Procedure at enquiries and appeals and service of notice :
  67. 75. Notifications, orders, etc., under Act not to be questioned in Court of law
  68. 76. Power to make Rules
  69. 77. Granting of Copies
  70. 78. Suits pending in Courts :
  71. 79. Repeal and affect of repeal of the Odisha Hindu Religious Endowments Act, 1939
  72. 80. Order to remove difficulties

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