AP HC issues notices to Collectors on endowment lands

Hyderabad, May 30 (UNI) The Andhra Pradesh High Court today sent notices to the Collectors of East and West Godavari districts for issuing notifications to acquire temple lands in violation of the orders passed by the court.

A division bench comprising Justice L Narasimha Reddy and Justice V Appa Rao asked the Collectors why action should not be taken against them for contempt of court for deliberately violating the court orders on acquisition of temple lands.

The bench passed the orders while admitting a writ petition filed by the AP Archaka Samakhya.

In the petition it was submitted that the issue of alienation of temple lands had been considered by a division bench headed by Justice Bilal Nazki in the earlier instance.

The bench ordered that no sale of endowment lands should be effected without permission of the court, and no comprimise should be effected under section 89 of the Endowment Act.

The petitioner contended that the state government for the ostensible purpose of providing house sites to weaker sections under the INDIRAMMA scheme, had notified temple land for acquisition under the Land Acquisition Act.

The government was not the owner of the temple lands. Some donors with a charitable purpose had donated these lands to the temple.

The government, being a trustee of these lands, cannot alienate them contrary to the wishes of the donors, the petitioner said.

UNI AP ROY LR HS2133