Date:03/06/2005 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2005/06/03/stories/2005060317560500.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Official clarifies on temple land sale

Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD: The Principal Secretary, Revenue, D. C. Rosaiah, here on Thursday made it clear that there was no proposal to sell/alienate Endowments lands anywhere in the State except at Simhachalam.

He clarified this while elucidating the policy or method to be adopted by the Endowments Department for selling/alienating any temple land in the light of reports that the Government was intending to dispose of temple lands at throwaway prices. He said as per Section 80 (1) (C) of the Andhra Pradesh Charitable Hindu Religious Institutions and Endowments Act, 1987, any sale or alienation by the Endowments Commissioner after clearance by the Government, should be through "tender-cum-public auction" only. With a view to expediting the long-pending regularisation of the encroachments of lands belonging to Sri Varahalakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple at Simhachalam, the Government had formed a committee headed by the Visakhapatnam Collector.