Salem, September 24, 2013: Based on a directive from the Madras High Court, officials from the survey department started measuring 113.74 acres of land attached to the famous Sri Sugavaneshwarar Swamy Temple in Salem city, which is maintained by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment Department, on Monday.

According to petitioner A. Radhakrishnan, founder president of Thiruthondargal Sabai, Tamil Nadu, and Kattalaitharar of the temple, who has taken up the issue in the Madras High Court, the lands were donated to the temple by (late) Muthusamy Udaiyar.

“The land that is now valued at more than Rs. 5 crore per acre – as it is in Salem City limits – has been usurped by some powerful persons”, he alleged and claimed that the encroachers fabricated documents and transferred title deeds to their individual names and added that revenue records of the temple lands have also been forged and altered.

He made a plea to the Chief Justice of the Madras High Court on September 10, 2013, to issue an order to retrieve the lands usurped by the encroachers and to initiate criminal proceedings against them.

Team

On directions from the court, the Salem Division Inspector (Survey) A. Padmanabhan and Head Surveyor A. Selvaraj surveyed the land with a team of surveyors under the supervision of the Joint Commissioner of HR&CE, Salem, K. Mangayarkarasi.

Source: The Hindu, September 24, 2013