Endowments department wakes up from slumber to protect its lands in Khammam

Khammam: The Endowments department has launched serious measures to protect lands under its control and to take possession of lands encroached in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

In this regard, the Commissioner has appointed special officers to monitor the works of assistant commissioners, executive officers and managers in several districts.

In erstwhile Khammam, Sri Sitaramachandra Swamy Temple Executive Officer T Ramesh Babu has been appointed as special officer to conduct special drive to safeguard the temple lands.

According to officials, about 1,152.19 acres belonging to Bhadradri temple has been encroached of the total extent of 1,345.98 acres in Khammam and Medak in Telangana State, and Krishna, Guntur, Prakasham, East Godavari, West Godavari and Kurnool districts in Andhra Pradesh.

According to officials, the department has got nearly 14,355.40 acres, including Bhadradri temple lands, in erstwhile Khammam. Of the above lands, around 2,500 acres is agricultural land. While 1,558.58 acres is under the control of priests, 9,675 acres has been given to tenants. It is said that about 1,984.07 acres, properties and shops belonging to the department are under illegal possession for nearly 100 years in Khammam.

Steps like fencing, putting up sign boards are being taken to protect the lands from encroachment and speeding up of legal procedures to reclaim the lands that are encroached has been started, the EO informed.

"Court notices have been served to people at Purushothampatnam in West Godavari district who have built houses in Bhadradri temple lands. If they fail to respond, the department will take up legal action against the encroachers," the official said, adding that survey number-wise data of all temple lands is sent to Registration Department urging it to prohibit registration of such lands. In addition to that, steps are being taken to ensure regular income from tenant lands, Ramesh Babu informed.

"Endowments was part of Revenue department till 1966. This has led to discrepancies in land record details in Endowments and Revenue departments in terms of survey numbers and the extent of land at many places," he pointed out.