The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : ‘Temple lands’: occupants want permanent solution

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Tuesday, Feb 24, 2009
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

‘Temple lands’: occupants want permanent solution

L. Renganathan

They form panel to represent the issue to State Government

List of identified property as belonging to two temples in Karur published
Transfer of such property by way of sale or otherwise barred

KARUR: With the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department publishing a list of identified property as belonging to two temples in the district, those who have been enjoying the property have decided to form a committee to represent their case to the State Government. They have also decided to post the government of their views of finding a permanent solution to the issue.

Sometime back the HR&CE Department listed very many immovable property spread over several areas in and around the town such as Karur, Inam Karur and Thanthonrimalai as belonging to Sri Kalyana Pasupatheeswarar temple and Vennaimalai Sri Murugan Temple. They had been, incidentally, occupied and enjoyed by many individuals who were shocked to find the Department laying claim to “their” property.

Besides publishing the list, the Department also barred any transfer of such property by way of sale or otherwise. The directive affected hundreds of people and many more got frightened by the words of unscrupulous real estate brokers who also in many cases tried to cash in on the situation to their advantage.

It was in these circumstances that the affected people got together here and deliberated the issues confronting them. The speakers observed that once the Privy Purse was abolished and those who had been donated land by the royal rulers had handed down their property to their next generations who had subsequently traded or transferred many such properties for gain. They claimed that while no one had any royal decrees on alienation of land to them, almost all have been holding pattas, power bills receipts, property tax receipts, sewer link amount etc to show proof of their enjoyment of the property in question.

The speakers wanted the State Government to recognise the validity of the “documents” in the form of bills and receipts and grant pattas in their individual names. Moreover they claimed that the National Highways Authority of India too had granted some of them compensation for the land it acquired from their possession recognising that they were indeed their property.

Assuring the affected that all necessary efforts to address their problems would be made, Karur MP K.C. Palanisamy said that the HR&CE Department and the State Government have been apprised of the situation. A letter has also been dispatched to Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi. A high level meeting of officials has also been held in Chennai recently and the Government is seized of the issue. Legal opinion has also been sought on the issue and how it could be solved to the benefit of the public, he said.

DMK district secretary Vasuki Murugesan, for her part, said that it would be prudent if the affected formed a committee to discuss the issue threadbare and represent to the State Government pressing for an amicable solution. “Prepare a list of those affected and we would forward the list to the State Government and follow it up with the officials,” she added.

Acceding to her request, the affected people have decided to form a committee to go into all aspects of the issue and represent to the government a permanent solution.

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