Hyderabad : As a large number of lands belonging to temples were allotted to private companies for projects by various government departments earlier, the Andhra Pradesh Government has now passed an order prohibiting temple lands from being sold or given on long lease to companies and individuals.
“Henceforth, no department will be allowed to send proposals for transfer, sale or alienation of any temple land either for any routine public purpose or for the purpose of giving it to a private party,” the Government stated in a GO issued in this regard.
In case a particular temple or charitable trust land has to be given for public purpose or to an individual, concerned district collectors or heads of departments (HoD) would have to send proposals to allot Government land to such temples.
Not only that, the department, which recommends the allotment of the temple or charitable trust lands for the purpose of setting up of industries, will have to provide alternative lands equivalent to the value of the land being acquired and which could be put to use by the temple to generate a regular stream of income.
Moreover, the alternative land being given should be close to the temple or the existing temple land which is proposed to be taken away so that the temple administration would be in a position to safe guard the land and generate revenue for maintenance of the temple. “Without making this arrangement, no temple land would be allowed to be taken by any department,” a senior endowments official said.
If at all temple lands are to be given on lease, the authorities can do so either in the short-term or on BOOT basis in the long-term after a careful assessment of the temples’ needs, the official added.
“It has come to the notice of the Government that several officials in various departments are frequently making efforts to identify Hindu temple lands for the purpose of undertaking various projects and schemes of their departments. Also, whenever private parties are approaching them, officials of various departments are routinely showing Hindu temple lands for the purpose of establishing various projects by the private sector. Henceforth, this would not be allowed,” he said.
Citing an example of how temple lands are being taken away by Government departments for setting up projects, the endowment official said lands belonging to Lord Venkateswara Temple and Lord Malleswara Temple in Boppudi in Guntur district had been identified for the construction of Superintendent of Police’s (Rural) office.
There is a growing tendency among officials who presume that Devasthanam lands are easy pickings wherever a need is felt for procuring land, he alleged.
Source : The New Indian Express
