State will have to get High Court nod to use temple land.
Representational image
Hyderabad: Presiding deities in temples will now own lands in Telangana. The Telangana state government will be registering temple lands in the name of gods and issue fresh pattas. Since the deity is a perpetual minor in legal terms, endowment officials in the concerned districts will sign on the registration documents on behalf of the deities.
If the government wants to utilise temple lands for any development activity or for welfare schemes, it will have to take permission from the High Court.
This is to check encroachment of temple lands and enable temple authorities to fight legal cases in courts against encroachers on their own by submitting the ownership documents.
At present, there are no proper land ownership documents with temples or the government, giving scope to land sharks to encroach on temple lands easily. Some are registered in the name of temple trusts, committees and individuals.
Over 10,000 acres of temple land has already been encroached on, which the government now plans to reclaim by issuing pattas in the name of the deities.
Lands can be used for temple development
If the government wants to utilise temple lands for any development activity or for welfare schemes, it will have to take permission from the High Court.
This is to check encroachment of temple lands and enable temple authorities to fight legal cases in courts against encroachers on their own by submitting the ownership documents.
At present, there are no proper land ownership documents with temples or the government, giving scope to land sharks to encroach on temple lands easily. Some are registered in the name of temple trusts, committees and individuals.
Over 10,000 acres of temple land has already been encroached on, which the government now plans to reclaim by issuing pattas in the name of the deities.
Lands can be used for temple development
‘The government has directed all district collectors to register temple lands in the name of gods. They were asked to survey the land first to know the actual extent of land and clear encroachments if any. ‘The idea is to see that these lands belong to the deity and no one registers them in any other name. The fresh registered documents will be uploaded online with revenue and registration departments and re-registration will be sealed.
‘The computer will not accept re-registration of these patta lands,” said Mr A. Indrakaran Reddy, minister for endowments. He said though the existing temple lands were registered in the name of temple trusts, societies, individuals etc., they had in course of time changed hands multiple times over the years due to encroachments and other reasons.
“In the earlier system, it was easier for them to alienate temple lands to others as the government had no proper records of ownership. They used to approach revenue officials at village, mandal and division levels and transfer these lands to others,” Mr Reddy added. However, the government’s intention is not to deny the right of temple trusts / members over these lands.
They would be allowed to use the land for temple development purposes. anyway. “They will be only stopped from transferring these lands to others. They can use the lands for agriculture purpose and to generate revenue for temple development,” Mr Reddy added. At present there are 12,200 temples in Telangana. These temples together own 92,000 acre of land. Of this around 10,500 acre is under encroachment.
( Source : deccan chronicle )
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