Temple lands not lentil, jaggery to be given away: Jagan Reddy's party leader
YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) senior leader and former MLA Malladi Vishnu on Friday criticised the Chandrababu Naidu-led coalition government's recent move to allocate temple lands without public auctions. He called it a 'sinister attempt' to hand over sacred assets to favoured organisations under the guise of charity.Vishnu was referring to a Government Order (GO) issued on May 2, which amends the 2003 lease and license rules under the Andhra Pradesh Charitable and Hindu Religious Institutions Act. The order allows temple lands to be leased for up to 33 years at nominal rates without auctions, which Vishnu says violates court-mandated procedures and undermines temple finances.advertisement'These lands are not political spoils to be distributed like lentils and jaggery,' said Vishnu. He accused the TDP government of bypassing both cabinet approval and legal safeguards, enabling select groups to access temple lands worth thousands of crores.
Citing past controversies, Vishnu recalled how during the TDP's 2014-19 tenure, an attempt was made to offload 83 acres of Sadavarti Satram land near Chennai for Rs 22 crore, until a legal battle and re-auction, led by YSRCP, brought in Rs 60 crore.He warned that with 87,000 acres of temple lands already under encroachment and only 1.6 lakh acres generating revenue, the new GO could pave the way for massive asset misuse.Calling for the immediate withdrawal of the order, Vishnu said YSRCP would explore all legal avenues to protect temple lands and urged devotees and religious groups to join the resistance. 'Temple lands are a sacred trust, not real estate for political allies,' he added.Must Watch
IN THIS STORY#Andhra Pradesh
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