Andhra govt identifies 4 lakh acres of temple lands for safeguarding measures

The Andhra Pradesh government has embarked on securing and safeguarding all the temple lands, identifying as many as 4.09 lakh acres across the state, Endowments Minister Kottu Satyanarayana said.

Declaring that the government is committed to saving all temples lands, Satyanarayna said foolproof measures are being made to secure them.

"Controversial temple lands will soon see be resolved," he said in a release, adding that a brainstorming session was held at Sri Durga Malleswara Swamyvarla Devasthanam in Vijayawada on temple lands verification, primary details, controversial lands and lands registered under 22A1C and others.

Endowments commissioners and officials from the department from all 26 districts in the state have participated in the review meeting, where directives were issued on how to protect temple lands.

Further, Satyanarayana noted that a software has already been readied to secure the records of all the temple lands in the southern state, highlighting that the land bank will be classified once the records are digitised.

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He observed that efforts are underway to resolve endowments lands stuck in controversies while computerisation of 175 temples in the state will be completed soon.

Meanwhile, Satyanarayana warned endowments department officials that any corruption from their end would lead to suspension.

Moreover, he highlighted that hundreds of temple lands misappropriated in Anakapalli, Gunturu, East Godavari and Vizianagaram districts and their documents have been seized.

However, the minister said the department will take a humane approach while dealing with farmers cultivating crops in temple lands after due diligence.

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