BENGALURU: Crazy as it may sound, gods in Karnataka are set to 'get' richer - and faster!
If that's in a lighter vein, then here's the business-end of the deal: The
state government
has decided to fast-track registration of all
immovable properties
- primarily land - worth several crores of rupees belonging to 34,563 temples across the state in the name of their respective
presiding deities
.
The move is aimed at ending misuse of
temple land
and property by individuals and overcoming feuds over ownership ambiguities.
According to the state's muzrai department, in Bengaluru alone, documentation of properties belonging to 10 major temples has been taken up. In the last six months, Bengaluru Rural district has seen the highest number of registrations, with 156 properties belonging to various temples registered in the name of their presiding gods. This is followed by Chikkaballapura, where 150 temple property registrations have taken place.
Dakshina Kannada (88), Chamarajanagar (84), and Tumakuru (82) are next. In 2020, detailed survey and digitisation of temple records were ordered to consolidate multi-crore rupees worth of immovable properties belonging to thousands of temples across the state.
Additionally, the state government, in 2021, had decided to register all surveyed and demarcated immovable properties in the name of gods, thereby ending unilateral control of a few individuals over temple riches.
Acknowledging the registration process, muzrai minister Ramalinga Reddy told TOI that the absolute ownership over these properties now lies with the state government.
Reddy further said since time immemorial, several kingdoms and rulers had granted vast tracts of land to various temples and their value currently runs into thousands of crores.
"
Temple properties
and land were either leased out to individuals unilaterally for a very small amount or given free of cost. As a result, temples were deprived of crucial income. The government wanted to prevent such misuse of wealth...," the minister explained.
Senior BJP MLC N Ravikumar said: "In Bengaluru alone, properties worth several crores of rupees in Koramangala and near Big Banyan tree have been encroached by individuals as the properties are with temple trusts. Land, property belonging to temples shall be registered in the name of the presiding deity like the way property belonging to Masjids are handled by the Wakf Board. Once a wakf property will always be a wakf property. Nobody can alienate it. We want the same system for consolidation of temple properties."
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