Tamil Nadu temple properties worth Rs 2,000 crore recovered since May 2021

Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR & CE) department which manages over 44,000 temples and trusts in Tamil Nadu has freed over 530 acres of land and several hundred grounds of buildings and plots worth Rs 2,000 crore from encroachment after the M K Stalin-led DMK government assumed office in May 2021.

The lands and plots belonging to several temples across the state were cleared of encroachers and brought under the control of the HR & CE department, officials said, adding that the process of identifying lands under encroachment is “ongoing” and more properties are likely to be freed from those who have occupied them illegally.

“We have recovered 530 acres of land belonging to various temples across the state. These lands were encroached by people for decades together. After recovering the lands, we take control of them and erect a fence and install HR &CE’s name board. We are working on options to using these lands to generate additional revenue for temples,” a senior official told DH.

Clearing temple lands of encroachments and publishing of land and property documents of temples managed by the HR & CE department, though at the instance of a Madras High Court order, are part of efforts by the DMK to blunt the anti-Hindu tag given to it by BJP and right-wing organisations.

Chief Minister M K Stalin has taken a special interest in the functioning of the HR & CE department which has begun the work of verifying the land documents and geofencing the properties owned by temples. The land and property documents of the temples have been made available on the HR & CE website, officials said.

As many as 538 acres of land, nearly 500 grounds of house plots, and 20 grounds of buildings were recovered since May 2021. “The combined value of these properties is pegged at Rs 2,000 crore,” the official said, adding that some of the land parcels will be used to construct arts and science colleges, and marriage halls.

Another official explained that properties worth Rs 100 crore belonging to Sri Ekambaranatha Swamy Temple, Kanchipuram recovered in the heart of Chennai will be used to construct a commercial complex and arts and science college in the 2022-2023 academic year. “The rent from the complex would only help the temple expand its outreach and provide better facilities for devotees,” he said.

Besides clearing properties of encroachments, the HR & CE department has also launched a massive drive to collect rent from tenants who have occupied buildings and other properties owned by various temples. The department had last week informed the Madras High Court that it has planned to recover Rs 2,390 crore in rental arrears – Rs 80 crore has already been collected.

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