Here, even temple lands are not safe

Influential people and politicians have been enjoying them for decades

Except for taking a deep breath and heaving of a sigh, none would show any interest in speaking about the encroachment of lands belonging to various temples under the Endowment Department in Kuppam, Ramakuppam and Shantipuram mandals of Kuppam assembly constituency, represented by Chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu since 1989.

A number of temples, small but rich with hundreds of acres, had come under private enjoyment a couple of decades ago. Most of the temples in spite of good patronage by the devotees are languishing with poor maintenance, even facing dilapidation.

The revenue being generated from the lands belonging to these shrines has been reportedly siphoned by those who control them. While large stretches of land remain encroached by locally influential people, the practice of enjoying them “unofficially and unasked” is largely prevalent.

According to information, the temples of Lord Veerabadraswamy and Lord Betrayaswamy in Kuppam mandal have devotees not only in Chittoor district, but elsewhere in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Their lands are at present in the hands of local politicians. Though a majority of the encroached lands still continue to have agriculture, sizeable portions are also taken away for unauthorised construction of houses and commercial entities.

The endowment lands of Venugopalaswamy temple at Ramakuppam mandal, Lakshminarayana Swamy temple and Matam in Santhipuram mandal are also facing the same fate.

A sprawling 8-acre land in Matam is reportedly under the control of a local leader doing operations for a private dairy farm. At Bevanapalle village of the Kuppam area, a 10-acre government land is being enjoyed by a local leader.

A private granite factory is also operating in government land in the same region without any questions being asked by the officials. It is observed that more than 200 acres of endowment lands had fallen prey to the greed of local politicians in the Kuppam region.

A senior revenue official in the region told The Hindu that “the more the silence is maintained, the more the happiness of officials”. When there is no complaint for grievance from anyone, what's the point in launching an inquiry or investigation. After slipping into private hands several years ago, protection of government lands is not possible without litigation, he observed, adding, “let things happen in whatever way they move”.

Prolonged neglect

Similarly, prolonged neglect of the government officials led to the encroachment of a large stretch of land along the Neeva river in Chittoor town and surrounding areas. Nearly 1,000 families had started slowly encroaching the lands on both sides of the river three decades ago, when the river too was on the verge of getting dried up. With all supply channels cut off due to encroachment, the river, which saw its glory during the Vijayanagara kings in the 16th century, was a mute spectator to encroachments.

Though officials of the Chittoor Municipal Corporation and district administration keep on preparing plans for removal of these encroachments, it remains a million dollar question, who will bell the cat?

Over years, the encroachments have become part of regular habitations in the backward district headquarters. The residents have also obtained their own entities, formed their own vote banks.