Tamil Nadu minister says 40,245 acres of temple land transferred to private entities

Tamil Nadu's Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Minister S Ramesh told the state assembly on Friday that 40,245 acres of temple land had been transferred to private individuals through patta transfers in the past. He said recovering these lands is a major task for the government.

Ramesh, responding to discussions during the demand for grants for his department, said around 33,949 acres were erroneously transferred to private individuals while computerised Chitta records were being prepared. He added that over the past 100 days, the government had pursued appeals to recover approximately 464 acres of temple land.

The minister also said about Rs 108 crore in outstanding temple revenue has been recovered, according to his statement in the assembly.

Separately, Ramesh announced a series of measures for temple renovation and development, including the restoration of 64 temples that are more than 1,000 years old. The restoration work is estimated to cost Rs 125 crore.