Cell set up to protect endowment lands

Information about encroachment has been sought from public

Land protection cell was formed to protect the lands of temples and other endowment institutions in the district, Assistant Commissioner of Department of Endowments E.V. Pushpa Vardhan said here on Thursday.

There were 976 temples in the district having 22,000 acres under them including 6,000 acres which were under occupation of others. Some extents of these lands were also involved in court cases, Mr. Pushpa Vardhan said.

The cell, headed by an Executive Officer, Jagannadha Rao, and having eight others as its members would protect the endowment lands.

People could call 0891 2565109 between 10.30 a.m. and 5 p.m. when they come across incidents of endowment land being encroached upon or similar things, the official said.

Some former employees of the department were involved in encroachment of the lands and tampering with the records with the help of those working at present, Mr. Pushpa Vardhan alleged. They were also preparing layouts on the occupied land in a bid to sell them.

A former employee raised 170 huts on a 50-acre land of the Neelayyamma Choultry in a bid to grab the land, he said. But the department was able to prevent land grabbing in some cases like the recent one involving the land of Sri Pothuluri Veerabrahmendraswamy temple at Dondaparthi in the city. With the help extended by Commissioner of Police Amit Garg, who deployed a large force, the Endowment Department staff demolished structures built by the land grabbers and quickly installed an idol of Sri Pothuluri Veerabrahmendraswamy.

A survey was being done to construct a compound wall along the periphery of an 18-acre land at Madhurawada. It belongs to Embarmannar Venkateswara Swamy temple.

It might cost around Rs. 25 lakh. Proposals were also being made to construct compound walls to protect the 20-acre land at Aganampudi. The land belongs to Polamamba temple; a 14-acre land of Tunivalasa Visveswara Swamy temple located in Kanapaka Ayyannapeta in Vizianagaram town and Neelayyamma Choultry land along with a two-acre land of the Endowments Department at Dakamarri.