Andhra Pradesh

Temple’s stand on land faulted

VISAKHAPATNAM: Leaders of Samaikya Praja and Rythu Sankshema Sangham of Varalakshmi Nagar from Vepagunta, disputed the claims of Simhachalam Devasthanam that lands in Vepagunta, Adavivaram, Purushottapuram, Cheemalapalli and Venkatapuram villages belonged to it (Devasthanam). They said that the Devasthanam had no rights on the lands except in Survey nos. 91, 94 and 275 of Adavivaram village.

Addressing a media conference here on Saturday, Sangham president D. Siva Prasad and secretary K. Venkata Ramana said that Gilman Survey and Land Settlement Record of 1903 was the basis for ownership of these disputed lands. The lands were ‘jeerayati’ but not ‘Inam’ lands.

About 12,000 families had been residing in colonies that came up on these lands during the last 25 years. The present owners had purchased the lands from the rightful owners or their heirs. The registrations were done in the names of the present owners and the Government departments had provided civic amenities to these colonies.

They said that during 1996 and 1997, the Revenue Officials of Pendurthy and Chingadhili mandals, under directions from the then District Collector, had issued ryotwari pattas in the name of the Devasthanam. They said it was unjust on the part of the Government to transfer the rights on the lands to the Devasthanam without making any enquiries or even issuing notices to the 12,000 families that were residing on the said lands in 1997.

A notification was issued in the newspapers in August 2000 stating that the lands belonged to the Devasthanam and those residing on those lands should pay 70 per cent of the market rate prevailing in 1998 and get the properties regularised in their names. They said that most of the residents didn’t go for regularisation. They said it was unfortunate that the Government was labelling the rightful landholders as ‘encroachers’ and approached the High Court against the latter. The court had directed that details of the ‘encroachers’ should be submitted to it in three weeks time. The sangham president said that 2,000 petitions were pending in the R.D.O. Court for the last four years disputing the claim of the Government. The undue delay in the disposal of these petitions suggests that Devasthanam has no right on the lands.

Members of all the 12,000 families would support the party that takes up their cause in the elections, he said. Lok Satta was already supporting the cause, said V. Joga Rao, member of the State Committee.

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