Mangalore: Talking to newsmen in Subrahmanya on the Western Ghats, the DK Minister for ports and Environment safety, told on Friday that an order will be issued strictly to ban plastics in the old temples of the state and private temples run by local committees also will be asked to keep plastics out (while receiving offerings and distributing prasadam etc).
The Religious Endowments and ecology Minister opined that our environment (nature) and God have an internal connection. There has to be pleasant atmosphere even to secure divine grace, the Minister added. He disclosed that he had now a heavy responsibility of looking after over 43,300 temples and 48,000 industrial units in the state. He wanted that temples should not become “buy and sell” centres, but places of faith and worship without higgling or haggling, he underlined.
He revealed that he did not see any proposal that is harmful to environment such as Gundya project. Any development project that ruins the local atmosphere for the sake of power production and any industry was unwelcome, Palemar declared. Projects that protect the atmosphere also allow us to exist happily, he reiterated. He attacked superstitions and said he had overcome them by getting elected twice from Surathkal and holding the Muzarai portfolio now.
Sullia MLA S. Angara, state Forest Development Corporation Chief, S.S Manmatha, ZP member V. Damekodi, (Subrahmanya) Temple former chairman T.V Bhat were with the Minister on tour.