The land was given to Hare Krishna Movement on a 33-year lease
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Hyderabad: The Telangana government is likely to take over the 4.38 acres of prime land of Sri Lakshminarasimha Swamy temple allotted to the Hare Krishna Movement in Banjara Hills. The land was given to the HKM on a 33-year lease in 2009 but faced strong opposition from locals in view of the location of the Lakshminarasimha Swamy and other temples on the land. The NBT Nagar Development Committee led by Subhash Sherikar, which is opposing the lease, and petitioned the government again on Friday.
Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao reportedly discussed the issue with government adviser Dr K.V. Ramana Chary and other officials and asked why the lease should not be cancelled. “We are looking into various aspects,” Dr Chary told DC. Mr Rao is keen that the prime land worth crores of rupees should be reclaimed by the government and developed.
On a representation from HKM, the government of undivided AP had allotted 4.38 acres (2.28 acres in TS No. 4/1 and 2.14 acres in TS No. 4/2) on Road No 12, Banjara Hills, through GOMs No 359/Revenue (Endts-II) Department on February 28, 2009. The land was allotted for renovation, upgradation, restoration, maintenance of the existing temples on a 33-year lease at Rs 20,000 per acre per annum with enhancement of lease amount by 10 per cent every five years.
Locals, led by former labour minister Danam Nagender, protested the allotment. Subsequently, orders were issued to either cancel the lease or keep it in abeyance, but no action was taken. A series of inquiries were conducted into the matter by the endowments department, Lokayukta, Hyderabad collector, and the revenue department. Besides, ministers Etala Rajender, Mahender Reddy, TRS MP B.B. Patil and others have sought a probe. A CBCID probe was also sought into the matter. Despite this, the matter remains pending.
Meanwhile, there is confusion on whether HKM is or is not a part of the Iskon. Chief commissioner of land administration, Telangana, in a letter to the Hyderabad collector on August 25, 2014, and the endowment commissioner in a letter to principal secretary on June 29, 2015, said there was nothing to show that HKM was not affiliated to Iskcon.
However, executive officer of the Yadagirigutta temple informed the government that HKM Hyderabad was registered on March 28, 2008 at Sangareddy and there was no mention anywhere that it was affiliated to Iskcon. According to the endowment commissioner’s letter in June to the principal secretary, the Yadagirigutta EO executed the agreement with HKM president Laxmikanth Das, whose original name is R. Laxmi Kantha Reddy of Anantapur. However, Mr Das told officials that he was not the president.
( Source : deccan chronicle )
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