BENGALURU: The land mafia and real estate sharks are the biggest challenge in the city. After having encroached upon forest, revenue and even farm lands, it seems they will not even spare temple land.
The Banashankari Temple is one of the most famous temples in the city. The temple owns around 2.5 acres of land at Kadirenahalli worth crores of rupees. Much to the surprise of the temple authorities, a name board of the Kendriya Upadhyayra Sangha had suddenly sprung up on the temple land.
The board was removed and a complaint was lodged at Banashankari police station seeking action against those who put up the board trespassing the temple land.
Padma, the CEO of Banashankari Temple, said, “The land on Survey Nos. 63/2, 63/3 and measuring about 3 acres, belongs to Banashankari temple. Construction work on a compound wall is already begun. There is board declaring that the land belongs to the temple, yet, some people put up a board after trespassing the temple property. We will submit all related documents to the police”.
Venkatesh of the Dharmic Parishat said, “Since god’s land is left vacant, encroachers keep an eye on such properties. Most of the donated land has already gone out of the temple management’s control. The members of the Dharmic Parishat have requested that the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department preserve the remaining land”.
“Some people put up boards of the Kendriya Upadhyayara Sangha at two places. We were surprised. The CEO then took down the name boards. A politician is involved in temple management since 30 years, but there is no political effort to save temple land. The management of the temple should be given to IAS cadre officers. The temple had left space to construct 30 houses on its land for temporary purposes, but now the occupants have the RTC and are getting benefits from the government. In 2014, the CEO decided to construct two wedding halls or commercial complexes on the vacant site, but it was dropped later due to political intervention. There are many obstacles to preservation of temple land”, Venkatesh added.
He further said, “More than 100 acres of property were donated to the Banashankari temple earlier. But now only 11 acres remain while the rest have been encroached upon. The department needs to think about making good use of the temple land”.