HR & CE Authorities Must Take Action On Complaints Of Encroachment, Not Put It In Cold Storage Making Deities Yearn For Due Share: Madras HC

The Madras High Court recently stressed that when an application is received informing instances of encroachment of temple land, the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment authorities were expected to look into the same and take immediate action. The HR & CE authorities do not act on the Section 78 applications diligently, the intent and purpose of such dedication would get eroded and encroachers would have a field day by encroaching upon the said lands making the deities yearn for its due share which had been bestowed upon it from persons out of benevolence and devotion to the deity,” the court said. The court was hearing a plea against an order of the Commissioner of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment department ordering eviction of the petitioners from a land alleged to be temple land. they further contended that after almost 60 years, the HR & CE officials and the fit person of the temple filed miscellaneous petition claiming that the petitioners had encroached into temple property. The petitioners contended that the Joint Commissioner of HR & CE Department passed orders in favour of the Fit person without giving necessary opportunity to the petitioners to produce their evidence.