Chennai, June 24:
The Tamil Nadu government has cancelled a proposed ₹15 crore multi-level car parking project planned near the Vinayagar Temple in Coonoor, following a discussion in the State Assembly. The decision was announced by Ramesh, who stated that the project order has been officially withdrawn.
The project, which was announced during the 2024–2025 Assembly budget session, had not yet commenced. Taking this into consideration, the government decided to cancel the construction order before any work began.
During the Assembly debate, the issue of using temple funds for such projects was strongly raised. Udhayanidhi Stalin questioned whether temple revenues should be restricted only to religious and related purposes, sparking a wider discussion on fund utilisation.
Responding to the debate, Minister Ramesh clarified that temple income should primarily be used for the benefit of devotees and essential facilities. He pointed out that the Coonoor Vinayagar Temple receives only around 500 devotees on average per month and lacks basic amenities such as toilets. In such a situation, spending a large amount on a multi-level parking facility was unnecessary, he argued.