Latest news with #EndowmentsAct
Time of India
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Temple land row should be resolved by endowments tribunal: HC
Hyderabad: Justice CV Bhaskar Reddy of the Telangana high court has held that it is the endowments tribunal—not the high court—that should adjudicate ownership claims when both the endowments department and private individuals, such as temple priests, assert title over the same land. The court directed Arutla Srinivasa Charyulu and Arutla Narasimha Charya, two priests from Odela village in Peddapalli district, to approach the endowments tribunal for relief in their dispute over more than 10 acres of land reportedly belonging to Sri Sitaramachandra Swamy temple and Sri Anjaneya Swamy temple. The ruling came as part of the disposal of a writ petition filed by the two petitioners, who claimed that the land in question was ancestral property passed down from their father, the late Narahara Charyulu. They argued that their family's traditional role as priests of the temples did not affect their rights as private landowners. In support of their claim, they cited their names—along with their late father's—being recorded as pattadars in revenue records, and the issuance of valid pattadar passbooks in 2018. The petitioners alleged that the revenue and endowments departments, without issuing notice or conducting any inquiry, had unilaterally replaced their names with that of the temple deities in official land records. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Foggia: L'ultima soluzione acustica svizzera: ingegnosa e quasi invisibile Migliora Udito Undo As a result, they claimed to have been denied agricultural benefits provided by the govt. Bhukya Mangilal Nayak, counsel for the govt and endowments department, refuted these claims. He argued that mere service as temple priests does not confer ownership rights over temple lands. According to the state, the disputed property has long been classified as temple land, and the petitioners had failed to contest this status for years. Moreover, the govt emphasised that the proper forum to resolve such disputes is the endowments tribunal, and not the high court under Article 226 of the Constitution. Agreeing with the state's contention, the court clarified that entries in revenue records such as pahanis do not establish ownership rights. They serve only for classification purposes and do not override the legal framework governing temple lands under the Telangana Charitable and Hindu Religious Institutions and Endowments Act, 1987, the court said. The high court concluded that the matter falls squarely within the scope of section 87 of the Endowments Act, and that the endowments tribunal is the appropriate authority to determine ownership and classification issues related to temple property. It further clarified that the tribunal's decision would be made independently, without being influenced by the observations of either the district collector or the high court.
New Indian Express
26-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Lobbying delays formation of Yadadri temple board despite law being passed two months ago
YADADRI BHUVANAGIRI: After coming to power, the Congress government in Telangana decided to constitute a board for the Yadadrigutta Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple, similar to the TTD board. Facilitating the decision, the Endowments Act was amended, and a new law was passed. Though it has been two months since the temple's trust board establishment bill was approved by the Assembly, the appointment of the board chairman and members has not yet progressed. It is believed that the delay in forming the Yadadri board is due to intense lobbying among top leaders from the undivided district, each pushing for their group to get representation. The proposed board will have 18 members, including a chairman, 11 governing body members, and six ex officio members. The term for the board will be two years. The government is planning to appoint industrialists with a service mindset, spiritual leaders, and experts from various fields. It also intends to include members from other states to boost the temple's national recognition. The previous board of trustees was formed in 2008 and operated until 2010. For the past 15 years, the temple has been functioning without a governing body. With the new decision to form a board, many individuals are now showing keen interest in becoming board members of the temple or chairman. These include Congress loyalists of the past decade, disappointed ticket aspirants, leaders who worked for MLA victories, those aiming for nominated posts, businessmen, NGO organisers, and eminent personalities from various fields. Intense lobbying and political pressure These aspirants are reportedly lobbying through their political connections to secure a spot on the board. Several leaders have allegedly already started exerting pressure on their seniors. Two ministers from the erstwhile Nalgonda district — N Uttam Kumar Reddy and Komatireddy Venkat Reddy — along with senior leader Jana Reddy and local MLA and government whip Beerla Ilaiah, are reportedly pushing for their own nominees to be appointed as chairman and board members.
New Indian Express
21-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Telangana HC sets aside Endowments dept notice to Union Minister Bandi Sanjay
HYDERABAD: The Telangana High Court has allowed a writ petition by Union Minister Bandi Sanjay, setting aside a 2016 notice from the Endowments Department directing him to register the Mahashakti Temple in Chaitanyapuri under Section 43(1) of the Endowments Act. The court ruled that the absence of a hundi or puja charges does not make a temple private, and all Hindu public temples fall under Section 1(3)(b) of the Endowments Act, 1987. Authorities were directed to consider Sanjay's 2016 plea for exemption under Section 154 within three months. Sanjay claimed he built the temple in 2010 at a cost of Rs 2 crore with no revenue generated, and that maintenance is handled solely by his family. The court criticised officials for not evaluating the temple's income or acting on Sanjay's request for nine years.
Time of India
20-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
HC nixes endowments' notice to bring Sanjay's temple under its control
Hyderabad: In a relief to Union minister of state for home Bandi Sanjay Kumar , the Telangana high court has set aside the notice seeking to bring under the purview of the endowments department the Maha Shakti temple in Chaitanyapuri in Karimnagar, which is built and administered by the minister's family. Justice EV Venugopal gave three months to authorities to consider the representation of the Union minister seeking exemption from the law mandating registration of temples under the Endowments Act. However, while deeming the notice premature, the court clarified that petitioner's (Sanjay) claim of the temple being a private institution was not substantiated solely by the absence of hundis or fees. The notice was issued by the assistant commissioner of endowments department in July 2016, asking Sanjay to apply for registration of the temple with the department under sub-section (1) of section 43 of the Telangana Endowments Act. Once such an application is made, the temple would come under the regulatory control of the endowments department. This was resisted by Sanjay who argued that the temple was constructed in 2010 with his own money (Rs 2 crore) and managed under the spiritual guidance of Sri Hampi Virupaksha Vidyaranya Bharathi Swamiji of Karnataka. The petitioner (Sanjay) was appointed as the Swamiji's agent and 'Dharmakartha' to oversee the temple's activities. The Act allows exemption to temples run by Mutts. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Investigadora argentina revela hallazgos sobre el magnesio Salud Esencial Leer más Undo Sanjay also contended that it was a private temple which has no income, no donation boxes (hundis), did not collect fees for religious services and all maintenance/festival expenses are borne by his family. He argued that such a setup did not warrant registration under the Endowments Act, especially when an application seeking exemption under Section 154 of the Act was already pending. Sanjay also pointed out the department's earlier exemptions to several temples such as Sri Balaji Temple, Chilkur village; Sri Subramanya Swamy Temple at Skandagiri, Secunderabad; Sri Jagdeesh Mandir, Lower Tank Bund, Hyderabad; and Sri Anjaneya Swamy Temple, Tadbund etc. The endowments department, in its counter-affidavit, argued that Sanjay's temple was a public religious institution open to all devotees and therefore fell under the scope of the Act. They rejected the temple's private status and said mere absence of hundis or fees did not exempt it from registration. The officials pointed out that the temple's adoption by the Hampi Mutt was never ratified by the endowments department. They also said that beyond the initial notices no steps were taken by the department. Justice Venugopal noted that both parties had admitted to the existence of a pending exemption application. While observing that the department failed to assess the temple's income or initiate steps under Section 6 to determine eligibility for inclusion in the official list of charitable and religious institutions, it gave officials three months to consider the plea for exemption.
The Hindu
20-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Justice E.V. Venugopal sets aside Endowment department's notice to Bandi Sanjay's Mahashakthi temple
Justice E. V. Venugopal of Telangana High Court set aside a notice issued by Telangana Endowments department to Mahashakthi temple in Karimnagar city to register the temple with the government under the Telangana Endowments Act 30 of 1987. The order was passed by the judge in a writ petition filed in 2016 by the temple agent and Dharmakartha Bandi Sanjay, currently Union Minister of State for Home, stating that compelling him to register the temple with the Endowments department was illegal. He contended that the government cannot force him to register with the government as there were no hundials in the temple. No fees or charges were being collected from the devotees visiting the temple. Mr. Sanjay informed the Bench that in 2016 he had applied to the government to exempt the temple from the registration process mandated by the Endowments Act. Even as the application was pending, the authorities were attempting to compel the petitioner to get the temple registered by issuing notices, the petitioner's counsel argued. The government counsel told the Bench that Mahashakthi temple built by Mr. Sanjay was a public temple under Section 1 (3) (b) of the Telangana Endowments Act 30 of 1987. It was being administered by the Union Minister and his family members 'in the capacity of self-styled Dharmakartha', the government counsel argued. Though the Minister claimed that the temple was being run under the administrative directions of Hampi Virupaksha Vidyaranya Peetham of Karnataka, there was no express order from the government ratifying adoption of the temple by the Peetham. Setting aside the notice issued by the authorities, the judge directed them to consider the Minister's representation to exempt the temple from registration under Section 154 of the Endowments Act as expeditiously, preferably within three months.
