Sabha accuses HR & CE officials of distorting temple land issue – The Hindu
Even as the High Court recently directed Revenue Divisional Officer (Tirupur) to settle the dispute pertaining to 1.7 acre land belonging to Avinashilingeswarar temple at Avinashi, the Kadambadi Aiynooruvagai Kongu Chettiar Dharmaparipalana Sabha accuses temple authorities of distorting the issue.
The difference of opinion between the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment Department officials and the sabha members over the title rights of the land situated a few metres away from the main temple, which was actually a nandavanam (garden), had been causing tense moments in the recent months.
Writ petition
This forced Boopathi Raja, an Avinashi resident and devotee, to move a writ petition in Madras High Court seeking issuance of necessary directives to end the dispute so that law and order problems never rise again.
Soon after the Revenue Divisional Officer (Tirupur) convened a meeting of the two factions recently, the sabha members pointed out that the title deed and patta of the land was with them and sought action against temple officials for portraying a wrong picture.
“The title deed of the land, donated by Karuppanna Chettiar in 1901 to grow flowers that should be given to the temple, has always remained with the ancestors of our sabha members. Patta has also been in the name of the sabha but the HR and CE Department through some backdoor measures included its name, too, in the document about quarter of a century back”, alleged D. Thirunavukkarasu, general secretary of the sabha.
Mr. Thirunavukkarasu also stated that the revenue from the two marriage halls that came up in the land was used for conducting temple related rituals and paying the salaries of the staff.
Executive Officer of the temple P. Alagesan, as well as some of the previous HR and CE officials who had served in the temple, were categorical that the patta was in the name of the temple right from beginning and it was the sabha which forged documents to convert the patta to its name.
“The error was corrected in 1992 and since then the temple holds the right”, said temple officials.
‘Patta was in the name of the temple from beginning and it was the sabha which forged documents’
