Thiruvananthapuram: The land grab by the Pinarayi Vijayan-led government in the aftermath of the Sabarimala gold plating controversy has now come to light, exposing what has unfolded to be a large-scale seizure of Devaswom land belonging to various Hindu temples across Kerala. According to the information that has emerged, thousands of acres of temple land under different Devaswom Boards were taken over by the government by reclassifying them as purambok (government land) in revenue records. This was reportedly carried out under the pretext of a reserve survey. It is alleged that lands traditionally and legally recorded as Devaswom property were deliberately altered in the revenue registers during the reserve survey process. Once recorded as purambok (government land), these lands automatically became the property of the Revenue Department, thereby stripping the Devaswom Boards of ownership and control. This reclassification enabled the government to exercise full authority over the land, despite its long-standing religious and institutional ownership.
The controversy further deepened when land acquisition took place for national highway development. It is alleged that, in addition to seizing temple land, the government also appropriated the compensation payable for these lands. Since compensation cannot legally be paid for government-owned land, the reclassification of Devaswom land as government land resulted in the denial of compensation to the temples concerned. As a result, crores of rupees meant as compensation for temple land were allegedly diverted by the government. To conceal the alleged fraud, the government is accused of filing complaints stating that the land in question was government-owned land administered by the Devaswom Boards. However, Devaswom land is traditionally and clearly marked in village and revenue records as ancestral temple property belonging to the deity. It is alleged that this long-established classification was overridden during the reserve survey, enabling the Revenue Department to claim ownership.
According to the information available, large tracts of Devaswom land across various reserves, from Parassala in Thiruvananthapuram (south) to Peruvanam in the North Paravur group, were recorded in revenue records as “out-of-state” or government land and subsequently taken over by the Revenue Department. When portions of this land were later acquired for national highway projects, the altered classification created serious disputes over compensation, as government land is not eligible for such payments. The scale of the alleged land grab became evident when the Devaswom Board Commissioner entered into a dispute with the Revenue Department over compensation for temple land acquired for highway development. To resolve this issue, a meeting was convened on July 26, 2023. Subsequently, on August 9, 2023, a new government order was issued, which critics allege was designed to legitimise and cover up the seizure of Devaswom land.
The August 9 order reportedly stated that the land in the possession of the Devaswom Boards was government land that had been granted free of cost under covenants executed either by the Maharaja or by elected governments. On this basis, the order directed that the compensation amount arising from highway land acquisition should be transferred to the Finance Department’s account. This move enabled the government to appropriate crores of rupees paid by the National Highways Authority as compensation. The Devaswom Commissioner objected to this interpretation and formally communicated the error to the government through a written letter. In the letter, the Commissioner clarified that the land had been handed over to the Devaswom Boards under covenants, but that ownership rights vested with the deity, not with the government. Despite this objection, another order was issued stating that the compensation paid by the Highway Authority would be credited to a special account of the Finance Department and could be transferred through the Revenue Devaswom Department. This order explicitly stated that the Devaswom land belonged to the government.
An audit report further substantiated concerns regarding the disappearance of Devaswom land from official records. The report found that 41.45 cents of Lakshmanada Devaswom land under the Travancore Devaswom Board, Devaswom land in the Pullamala sub-group, and 31 cents of land belonging to the Arukalikkal Devaswom were missing from village records. These findings came to light following the broader revelations regarding the land grabbing by the government.
