Tamil Nadu HR & CE department keen to sell land belonging to Sri Kadamba Vaneshwarar temple in Karur district, robbing it of its source of income

 

Close of the heels of the news that lands belonging to Hindu temple have been usurped by private entities at Dhenupureeswarar temple in Chennai and Kasi Viswanathar Temple , it has come to light thta the Tamil Nadu HR and CE department itself is trying to sell the land belonging to Kulithalai Sri Kadamba Vaneshwarar temple in Karur district. The land is send to be worth atleast 86 lakhs. This is a sure case of the fence itself grazing the fields.

 

Rangarajan Narasimhan who is waging a battle to remove HR and CE from temples, in a video message has alleged that to build a Bus stand at Kulithalai, 4.76 acres of cultivable land is being put up for sale under section 34 of HR and CE, 1959 act. A notice has been issued in this regard.

 

He said that he had objected to the illegal sale. Rangarajan pointed out that temple land can be sold only for ‘temple purposes’ alone and not for ‘public cause’. He further clarified that such sale for land meant of ‘temple purposes’ could be done with approval from the Commissioner only after the trustees of the temple and the stakeholders do not object to the sale. The government too has to approve and only then that such a land can be sold.

 

“But in the case of Kulithalai Sri Kadamba Vaneshwarar temple, the administration has stated that the land is being sold for ‘for public cause’ and the Fit person of the temple trust has given his stamp of approval. Both are illegal. A Fit person can’t approve on policy matters. They have misused the section 34 of the HR & CE act. The proposed sale can’t be allowed as it is not for the interest of the temple and is done without the approval of stakeholders”, says Rangarajan.

 

 

Rangarajan said lands with Patta no 712/1 (part), 713/2 713/3 comprising 4.76 acres cultivable land could be used to do agriculture or plant trees that would generate income for the temple. He said selling the land to build bus stand would cause environmental issues that can never be allowed. He has urged the temple authorities to reconsider their move and drop the decision to sell the land. He also called upon the devotees to write to the Commissioner of HR and CE urging him not to sell the temple land.

 

Rangarajan said the HR & CE decided to sell the land to build a bus stand following a request from Kulithalai Municipality. Accordingly they have made a resolution on 19th May this year backed by Fit person’s approval and the recommendation of Joint Commissioner, HR and CE, Trichy. “As the land is situated in urban area, the cost is worked out 225 times ie. Rs 86,10,840 plus the worth of the trees on the land is estimated at Rs. 72,100 totaling to Rs 86,82,940. GO no 90 dated 19.05.2020 has been issued by the Tourism, Culture and HR and CE department authorizing the EO to go ahead with the sale”, informed Rangarajan.

 

He said cutting of trees would damage the environment. The sale will be finalized on 16th July after a public inquiry. If no objection is received, then it would go ahead with the sale says the GO. Hence Rangarajan has called upon the devotees to make a representation to the HR and CE.

 

The successive Dravidian governments at the helm in TN have made grabbing of temple lands, mis-appropriation of funds, encroachments easy for the rich and the powerful. However, recent instances of encroachments and fight back by Hindu organisations are creating awareness among common people.