Coimbatore: Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department (HR&CE) has identified hundreds of acres of lands, worth crores of rupees, which have been encroached upon. These lands belong to well-known and small temples struggling to meet the daily pooja expenditure.

Revenue

To generate revenue for renovating the temples and the daily poojas, HR&CE Minister K.R. Periyakaruppan and HR&CE Commissioner P.R. Sampath ordered identification of temple lands that had been usurped over a period of time.

HR&CE Joint Commissiner P.R. Ashok along with revenue officials started identifying such lands. The team in the last two days identified over 220 acres and 62 cents of lands on the National Highway No. 209 whose value ranges from Rs. 1 to Rs 3 crore per acre.

The total market value of the lands is around Rs 800 crore.

The 220.67 acres of lands reportedly belong to 16 temples in Kurichi and Eachanari villages.

The lands had been encroached upon in different forms - lay-outs, bungalows and saw mills. Invoking Section 78 of the HR&CE Act, the department is serving notices on the encroachers.

However, utilising the Government Order MS. No 456, the encroachers who had bought or occupied the lands unwittingly are being given a reprieve by fixing a fair lease rent for the encroached property. Unused vacant lands that remain as farms are being fenced. In Udumalpet town in the neighbouring Tirupur district, officials have taken possession of 30 acres which were converted into a real estate.

Perur

In addition, the authorities have also unearthed 262 acres of land in Perur encroached upon by 58 persons. The land is being regularised by fixing a fair lease rent.

The revenue thus generated would help in ensuring periodical maintenance of the temples and daily poojas.

courtesy - Hindu