Indore (Madhya Pradesh): In a massive action, the district administration reclaimed possession of precious land worth Rs 150 crore on Monday. The land was of a government temple but the priest of the temple sold it to 11 people of a particular community.
Moreover, the Tehsildar also did mutation of the land in favour of the 11 buyers. By cancelling the mutation and partition on the instruction of collector Asheesh Singh, the officials of the district administration took back possession of the land. Now the district administration is planning to launch a drive to reclaim possession of all government temple lands located in the entire district.
The said 1.1890 hectares piece of land is located in Pipliyakumar village. In the government records, this land was entered in the name of Khedapati Temple and Shri Ram Mandir, of which the collector is the administrator.
SDM Pradeep Soni informed that in compliance with the order, the staff of the district administration, with the help of the IMC staff, took possession of the land by removing encroachment from the total area of 1.1890 hectares of all the partitions of land Khasra No. 206. An information board was also put up on the spot regarding the ownership of the land.
Through this information board, a warning has been given that the land of Pipliyakumar village Khasra No. 206 belongs to Shri Ram and Khedapati Temple. Any unauthorised entry, occupation or construction on this land or any kind of use is illegal. If any illegal activity is found, punitive action will be taken.
Official sources informed that the priest did not have the right to sell the land of the temple. But still it was sold to 11 people of a particular community. In the law, the temple is considered a minor and the custody lies with the district collector. The income from the land of the temple should also go to the account of the temple. However, some land mafia got the mutation done by forged and illegal sale deeds.
Collector Singh took the matter seriously and cancelled all the mutations in sequence of the order of the Revenue Board. It is also noteworthy that the land ownership changed only in the revenue records, but the government never gave up possession. Monday’s action of the district administration restored its possession and proved that any illegal occupation on the temple property would be removed immediately.
