CHENNAI: The revenue records show that about 10 acres in Valasarawakkam belong to the Agatheeswarar-Velveeswarar temples. But the temples are neither in possession of the land nor do they get any revenue from it. Many private houses have been built on these lands and there are claims and counter claims regarding the title.
Correspondences made available to The Hindu show that the temple officials have repeatedly written to the Revenue Department asking for the copies of the original documents so that they can effectively delineate and recover the property. "Without securing all documents, it would not be wise to legally contest this. As a last attempt, we have now filed an RTI asking for detailed information about the properties" says a temple official.
Many more temples in and around Chennai have prime properties but have difficulties in either possessing them or collecting rent from their tenants.
There are about 700 tenants on the temple lands of Tiruvalleeswarar Temple in Padi. "For long, the temple struggled to collect rent. Only now some have come forward to pay," says the official. Prime temple properties in Nungambakkam are occupied by about 300 tenants. Even when the rent was as low as Rs.2 per sq.ft, there were tenants who had not paid the dues. A senior government official also pointed to a dispute involving about three acres of temple land that has somehow become a part of a major real estate project in west Chennai.
The temples face two kinds of problem. One is the adverse possession of land and the other is collection and upward revision of rent. Not all temples have their land documents in full. Few of them have only revenue extracts dating back to 1870s. Other related documents are missing.
The Parasuraman Eswaran Temple at Ayanavaram owns 200 grounds of land. Though the temple has the patta, it has not got a copy of all the documents relating to its ownership.
When contacted, a senior revenue official told The Hindu that even an authorised extract is a valid document and the temple could legally pursue claims.
However, the temple authorities say unless they posses all documents, it may be difficult to secure the land. In this context, they find the response from the Revenue Department less helpful. "We do not get replies to our requests for authorised copies of documents" complained a temple official.
In cases where the ownership of land is clearly established in favour of the temple, the building belongs to the tenant. In such dual ownerships of property, sale of property is prohibited but only name transfers, subject to conditions, are possible. In addition land rent has to be paid to the temple. Many prospective buyers do not check the antecedents and end up buying temple properties, explained a senior government official.
"Some of the government orders in the recent past have helped temples revise and fix fair rent and also improve collection. With cooperation from the public and support from revenue officials, we would able to secure many temple properties. The temples have no time limitations in recovering property and we would make all efforts to do so," he adds.
the hindu temples in tamilnadu are perhaps the wealthiest if you take into account the lands they possess
but their revenues are less
sometime back a religious preacher told me 'its wrong to tell people of other religions looted out temples.what we are losing today by non paid revenues or low rents for temple properties is perhaps a hundred times more than what was looted by malik kafur or ghazni. and the culprits are mainly hindus.'
it was shocking but true.
i remember a kalvettu at the entrance of the amman shrine in thiruvanmiyur. a couple had bequeathed a property on mowbarys road to the temple and issue a proclamation on who has a right to question its missappropriation. they say anybody who comes to the temple to pray can question. venketesh
Its basically the end-result of the behaviour and attitude imbibed by the persons involved in such activities, followed by the passing down of the same behaviour and attitude to the next and subsequent generations. Whether it is Sivan soththu or makkal soththu.
Highly inappropriate and misleading. Like comparing a violent riot, mass murder and looting executed in a short span of time to the routine, day to day theft, murder, cheating and personal violation.
The religious preacher is a truly secular, politically correct and fit for a political post!