MLC K. Shivakumar has said that the revenue generated by the Sri Male Mahadeshwara temple should be utilised to develop basic infrastructure in the villages surrounding Male Mahadeshwara Hills in Chamarajanagar district.
The MLC said that the temple earns crores of rupees annually and suggested that amendments be made to set aside a portion of the income for the development of local villages.
Mr. Shivakumar, who was speaking during the Winter Session of the Legislative Assembly at Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belagavi, said several villages in the region have been deprived of basic amenities and added that the absence of proper roads has caused severe hardship to residents. Women are forced to walk difficult forest paths daily to fetch drinking water, he pointed out.
Due to poor road connectivity, pregnant women are often carried in cloth slings to hospitals during delivery. Even the sick elderly people are also compelled to walk several kilometres to access medical care. Such conditions amount to a violation of human rights, he observed.
The people who have lived on the hill for generations are the true devotees of Lord Mahadeshwara and also serve as protectors of the forest. While the temple development can continue, a portion of its resources should be utilised for benefitting the local population, he added.
Welcoming the government’s recent move to hold a Cabinet meeting atop the hill and announce several development projects, he described it as a positive step.
Published – December 18, 2025 08:32 pm IST
