Over 800 acres out of the total 4,000 acres belonging to various temples in the district have been under occupation for a long period and the Endowments Department is making all out efforts to get them back fighting prolonged legal battles, but to no avail.
The department has filed cases against 25 persons who are in possession of 560 acres of land belonging to Visweswara temple at Sadasivanagar under Section 83 of the Eviction Act and the case has been pending in the High Court. The families have held the precious land under their control for some 200 to 300 years now.
Similarly, over 400 acres of land is under the control of the math of Sarangapur Anjaneya Swami temple and the department has filed a case in the Lokayuta urging it to issue orders to transfer it to the department. The case is posted to December 17, according to T. Somaiah, Assistant Commissioner, Endowments. There is 203-acre land on the name of Sidhi Ramalingeswara Swami temple at Biknoor of which 163 acres were leased out to villagers. The Raghunathalayam atop Quilla Indur in the town has 53.16 acres around the hillock, but it is under the control of the Revenue Department as it was transferred to it when the district jail was shifted to Sarangapur.
The Endowments Department had written a letter to the government appealing for its transfer. It’s a precious land and since it is located in the town, it could be made as an income-giving source by promoting commercial activity in and around the place. The famous and ancient Kanteswar temple on Armoor road owns just six acres of land and the open auction to lease out this was challenged by some people. If the landed properties of all these temples were developed, all the 1,350 temples under the provisions of the Endowment Act 30/87 can be provided with money to meet the expenses of daily ‘doopa deepa naivedyams’ and salaries for the priests. With lack of resources, the department right now is extending financial support to only 190 temples at the rate of Rs. 2,500 a month towards the purpose.
Former MLA Yendala Lakshminarayana said the Pedda Ramalayam temple at Gajulpet in the town has over 400 acres of land at Madnur, Bhainsa and Nanded which is under occupation and that must be taken over by the government. “Earlier, I appealed to the government to take over all these lands and now I am preparing a detailed note on all of them,” he added.
