THE COMMITTEE AND THE ADVISORY COUNCIL

Powers and duties of Committee.

§32

Summary

(1) The Committee shall have power- (a) to carry out the duties entrusted to it under this section ; (b) to collect daily offerings, dakshina, bhogs, donations, subscriptions and the like in the Temples, to the complete exclusion of any other person and to ensure the safe custody thereof and of the Temples Fund, valuable securities, if any, and jewellery and ornaments; and to dispose of offerings which the Committee deems fit ; (c) to accept endowments for the Temples; (d) to undertake any scheme or plan for the purpose of augmenting the revenues of the endowment and registered trusts, and execute them ; (e) to inquire into and take steps to recover and take possession of the properties of the endowment and registered trusts with a view to securing their proper management and administration; (f) to dispose of any property of the endowment or of registered trusts, and to borrow money with the previous sanction of the Charity Commissioner, subject to such terms and conditions as may be agreed to in this sanction ; (g) to form sub-committees from amongst members or outsiders to advise itself on matters pertaining to the administration and management of the endowment and registered trusts, and to provide for their composition, procedure and conduct of meetings and for matters connected therewith including provision for payment of allowances to members of such sub-committees; (h) to approach the Charity Commissioner for the purposes of amalgamating the registered trusts for framing a common scheme for the same or for modifying any amalgamated scheme for the purpose of adding new trusts; (i) to select officers and employees of the Committee ; (j) to accept as trustee (either managing or custodian or both), other trusts endowments or any institutions which are connected with the Temples of Pandharpur; (k) to acquire or purchase lands or buildings required for the purpose of development and carrying out schemes to create peaceful and pious atmosphere in or near Vitthal and Rukmini Temples; (l) such other power as may be provided by this Act and rules and by-laws made thereunder. (2) Subject to the provisions of this Act and the rules made thereunder, it shall be the duty of the Committee- (a) to arrange for the proper performance of nitya or daily and naimittik or occasional services in the Temples and for proper conduct of ceremonies, functions and festivals therein generally, or on special occasions and to fix fees for the performance of naimittik or occasional pujas; (b) to provide facilities for speedy and peaceful darshan of God Vitthal and of the Goddess Rukmini and all Pariwar Devatas without payment of any fees, and for the performance of pujas or worship by devotees or pilgrims visiting the Temples (including provision for making available materials for performing pujas and prasad) on such reasonable terms as the Committee may from time to time determine in this behalf; (c) to ensure the preservation, development and management of the properties vested in the Committee in the interest of the Temples and of the devotees and pilgrims visiting the same ; (d) to ensure maintenance of order and discipline and proper hygienic conditions in the Temples, and of proper standard of cleanliness and purity of the offerings made therein; (e) to ensure that the funds of the endowment and registered trusts, if any, are spent according to wishes, as far as may be known, of the donors; (f) to make provision for payment of suitable emoluments to its salaried staff; (g) to establish an institution to be called Tukaram Maharaj Sant Peeth for imparting knowledge of, and giving instructions in, the practice and propagation of the spirit, tenets and philosophy of the teachings of all saints who have preached humanitarianism and social equality; and especially for carrying on research in, and the study of, and the publication and propagation of, the writings of the saints of the Warkari Sampradaya and Bhagwat Dharma ; (h) save as expressly provided by this Act to comply with provisions of the Public Trusts Act; and (i) to do such things as may be incidental and conducive to efficient administration, management and governance of the endowment and registered trusts, and convenience and spiritual benefit of the devotees and pilgrims visiting the Temple.

(1) The Committee shall have power- (a) to carry out the duties entrusted to it under this section ; (b) to collect daily offerings, dakshina, bhogs, donations, subscriptions and the like in the Temples, to the complete exclusion of any other person and to ensure the safe custody thereof and of the Temples Fund, valuable securities, if any, and jewellery and ornaments; and to dispose of offerings which the Committee deems fit ; (c) to accept endowments for the Temples; (d) to undertake any scheme or plan for the purpose of augmenting the revenues of the endowment and registered trusts, and execute them ; (e) to inquire into and take steps to recover and take possession of the properties of the endowment and registered trusts with a view to securing their proper management and administration; (f) to dispose of any property of the endowment or of registered trusts, and to borrow money with the previous sanction of the Charity Commissioner, subject to such terms and conditions as may be agreed to in this sanction ; (g) to form sub-committees from amongst members or outsiders to advise itself on matters pertaining to the administration and management of the endowment and registered trusts, and to provide for their composition, procedure and conduct of meetings and for matters connected therewith including provision for payment of allowances to members of such sub-committees; (h) to approach the Charity Commissioner for the purposes of amalgamating the registered trusts for framing a common scheme for the same or for modifying any amalgamated scheme for the purpose of adding new trusts; (i) to select officers and employees of the Committee ; (j) to accept as trustee (either managing or custodian or both), other trusts endowments or any institutions which are connected with the Temples of Pandharpur; (k) to acquire or purchase lands or buildings required for the purpose of development and carrying out schemes to create peaceful and pious atmosphere in or near Vitthal and Rukmini Temples; (l) such other power as may be provided by this Act and rules and by-laws made thereunder. (2) Subject to the provisions of this Act and the rules made thereunder, it shall be the duty of the Committee- (a) to arrange for the proper performance of nitya or daily and naimittik or occasional services in the Temples and for proper conduct of ceremonies, functions and festivals therein generally, or on special occasions and to fix fees for the performance of naimittik or occasional pujas; (b) to provide facilities for speedy and peaceful darshan of God Vitthal and of the Goddess Rukmini and all Pariwar Devatas without payment of any fees, and for the performance of pujas or worship by devotees or pilgrims visiting the Temples (including provision for making available materials for performing pujas and prasad) on such reasonable terms as the Committee may from time to time determine in this behalf; (c) to ensure the preservation, development and management of the properties vested in the Committee in the interest of the Temples and of the devotees and pilgrims visiting the same ; (d) to ensure maintenance of order and discipline and proper hygienic conditions in the Temples, and of proper standard of cleanliness and purity of the offerings made therein; (e) to ensure that the funds of the endowment and registered trusts, if any, are spent according to wishes, as far as may be known, of the donors; (f) to make provision for payment of suitable emoluments to its salaried staff; (g) to establish an institution to be called Tukaram Maharaj Sant Peeth for imparting knowledge of, and giving instructions in, the practice and propagation of the spirit, tenets and philosophy of the teachings of all saints who have preached humanitarianism and social equality; and especially for carrying on research in, and the study of, and the publication and propagation of, the writings of the saints of the Warkari Sampradaya and Bhagwat Dharma ; (h) save as expressly provided by this Act to comply with provisions of the Public Trusts Act; and (i) to do such things as may be incidental and conducive to efficient administration, management and governance of the endowment and registered trusts, and convenience and spiritual benefit of the devotees and pilgrims visiting the Temple.

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