Chennai: HR&CE minister S Ramesh on Thursday said the department could consider waiving the ₹5 mobile phone deposit fee at temples and introduce alternative arrangements if devotees face inconvenience.Temple administrations had been instructed to ensure that devotees did not have to stand in long queues or face difficulties while depositing their phones. Authorities had been specifically told not to restrict pregnant women, parents carrying infants, senior citizens or persons with disabilities. Feedback from devotees would be taken into account, and changes would be made wherever necessary, he said.“The ₹5 charge is not intended to generate revenue,” Ramesh said, adding that the govt would also examine the possibility of removing it depending on the financial position of individual temples.The department has engaged members of women’s self-help groups to operate the phone deposit counters. The collections are being used to pay their wages, while any surplus would be channeled to the annadhanam scheme.Ramesh also clarified that the mobile phone restriction was not a new fresh decision—it is being implemented in accordance with a Madras high court order issued in Dec 2022. Phone deposit counters had already been operating at several major temples, including the Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple in Madurai, Subramaniya Swamy Temple in Tiruchendur, Dhandayuthapani Swamy Temple in Palani and Ramanathaswamy Temple in Rameswaram, with a ₹5 charge.The latest expansion involves setting up dedicated counters at 52 senior-grade temples. The aim is to encourage devotees to experience the temples without distraction, he said.
