The Tamil Nadu All Religious Land Holdings Lessees/Tenants Protection Association has called upon the State government to stop issuing notices to lessees/tenants under the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment Act.
Speakling to reporters here on Sunday after chairing a meeting of the association, State organiser, Sami Natarajan said that during the previous AIADMK government the rent was hiked steeply under the guise of’fixation of fair rent’ in major towns such as Chennai and others. As the revised rent was unbearable for the lessees/tenants, it was opposed and several demonstrations were held urging the then government to reduce the lease amount/rent.
Making a plea to the present DMK government to consider the demand positively and fix a fairly minimum lease amount/rent, the association organiser urged the State government to waive the lease amount/rent for temple lands/properties for the entire COVID-19 pandemic period.
Exhorting the government to refrain from issuing notices to the lessees/tenants under Sections 78 and 79 of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment Act, Mr. Natarajan wanted eviction of tenants from temple properties to be suspended.
People who took temple lands on lease or rent and constructed buildings on them with their own funds must be permitted to sell them.
Plea for waiver
He also sought waiver of antedated rents/lease amounts and issuance of no-objection certificates to avail electricity connection and to repair old buildings.
Insisting that the government-sponsored housing schemes should be altered in such a manner that the lessees/tenants of temple lands/properties also benefitted, Mr. Natarajan exhorted the State government to initiate steps to fix a fair amount for the temple lands/properties under Section 34 of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment Act so that those using such temple lands/properties for several generations could become the owner of such properties.
