A law regarding temple land will be brought in next session ! : Chandrashekhar Bawankule, Revenue Minister

Mumbai – A law will be introduced soon to resolve the issues related to temple lands (inaam) and its draft will be published on the government website in the next 3 days for citizens to register suggestions and objections. In July, the law will be completely implemented. This law pertains to the transfer of land of over 4.5 lakh temples in Maharashtra. Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule informed at a meeting held at his office at the historical Pedhe Paramshuram Devsthan in Chiplun taluka of Ratnagiri district.

The Minister also stated that the Government is positive for a permanent solution to the issue of Devasthan Bhoomi (temple land). Public sentiment and technical considerations will be taken into account while implementing the new law, and the information will be made available online for the general public and concerned stakeholders to express their views.

Maharashtra Mandir Mahasangh (Maharashtra Temple Federation) has been fighting for this for the last two and a half years! – Sunil Ghanwat, President, Akhil Bharatiya Mandir Mahasangh (All India Temples Federation)

The Maharashtra Mandir Federation had been trying for the last two and a half years to bring the ‘Antiland Grabbing’ (Land Transfer) Act related to Devasthan (temple) lands. Hundreds of acres of temple land have been looted with the connivance of construction professionals, revenue department officials and trustees. The order to sell the land worth Rs 50 crore of the Someshwar Mahadev Sansthan in Akola was issued in the morning, and the land was sold for merely 960 rupees in the evening. All this was done with the assistance of Vijay Lokhande, a tehsildar. It raises the question- how is he still on payroll?

Allegations of Balaji Sansthan Devasthan’s land being grabbed by trustees at Telhar (Dist. Akola)!

4.5 acres of land of Farm Group No. 5, worth 30 crores rupees, belonging to Balaji Sansthan Devasthan in Telhar (Akola district), was acquired by the trustees in their and their family members’ name for Rs. 10 thousand rupees. This land parcel is registered with the ‘Madhyapradesh Public Trust’. After the demise of the initial trustees, people from various families have now become trustees.

Sansthan’s name is mentioned in the 7/12 extract. That exposed the matter. The villagers and the complainant allege that the documents were tampered with, and this was done in connivance with the then officials of the Revenue Department. The complainants say that Gawande and Khandare were there at that time. The court battle is going on in this regard.

In this regard, Daima has claimed to have registered the land in the name under the Kul-Kayada (clan law). He informed that permission was given to sell this land by the then authorities of Akot. The ‘Saam TV’ channel has broadcast the news of this case.