Justice Saldanha to visit ISKCON temple

BANGALORE: The controversial aerial ropeway scheme at the ISKCON temple will be personally scrutinised by a Karnataka High Court judge M.F.Saldanha before the case comes up for its next hearing to resolve the factual aspects of the controversy.
Justice Saldanha will visit the temple on Wednesday at 5.30 pm and will later also verify the working of the free midday meal scheme for school children.
The High Court is hearing a dispute on the construction of the aerial ropeway which has come up between ISKCON Bangalore Society and ISKCON Mumbai, with the latter contending that the estimated budget of Rs 1.78 crore will lead to several more crore of rupees. ISKCON Mumbai has alleged that this expenditure on the ropeway is totally unnecessary and impermissible.
On the other hand, ISKCON Bangalore Society has contended that at any given time, the rush of devotees requires a quick approach procedure as otherwise it became impossible for all of them to have darshan within the prescribed time.
ISKCON Bangalore has pointed out that over 65 per cent of the devotees were aged, infirm, handicapped or sick for whom the climb to the top of the hill temple was either difficult or impossible. In such a case, the devotees were prevented from partaking in their religious ceremonies, ISKCON Bangalore further contended. The aerial ropeway was the only solution for devotees'' quick approach and assist in their getting back to their conveyances without much waste of time, it added.
ISKCON Bangalore submitted before the court that the economics of the project indicated that the charge for the ropeway service would finance the Akshaya patra free midday meal scheme for over 50,000 school children which was being expanded.
Keeping in view the various aspects of the contentions of both parties, Justice Saldanha will visit the temple premises and will also fix another date for personally inspecting the facilities relating to the midday meal scheme as these two projects were inter-related.