Bengaluru Temple Land Recovery Lags With Over 721 Acres Still Encroached

In Bengaluru, the state government has recovered only about 314 acres of the more than 1,035 acres of encroached temple land, prompting Deputy Chief Minister and Revenue Minister G Parameshwara to order a quicker crackdown on the remaining 721 acres.

Data reviewed by the revenue and muzrai departments revealed that only 19,020 out of 45,038 properties belonging to 34,566 government-run temples have been surveyed so far.

Officials stated that the government identified encroachments on 1,035 acres and 36 guntas of land belonging to 229 temples. However, 721 acres and 16 guntas remain encroached.

Out of the remaining encroached land, more than 228 acres are tied up in court disputes. Another 38 acres are occupied by government agencies for public facilities such as schools, hospitals, and community halls. After excluding these categories, the government is initiating action to recover 455 acres and 17 guntas.

"Encroachment of temple property will not be tolerated," Parameshwara said. "We have instructed officials to take firm action and clear all encroachments without concessions."

Efforts are also underway to secure ownership records. The muzrai department identified 45,038 properties, but most were not initially registered in the names of the respective temples. To address this, the government launched a record correction drive.

So far, ownership registration has been completed for 20,730 properties, while gazette notifications have been issued for 3,046 properties. Officials said all identified temple properties will eventually be registered in the names of the temples and notified through the gazette.

Figures show the exercise has gathered momentum in recent years. Surveys were completed for only 5,720 properties until 2023, but another 13,300 properties have been surveyed since then. Similarly, temple ownership registration stood at 11,527 properties until 2023, with another 9,203 properties securing clear titles over the past three years.

Rajender Kumar Kataria, additional secretary of the revenue department, said the exercise of protecting temple properties began three years ago. The process includes identifying properties, surveying them, and registering them in the name of the respective temple. The department hopes to complete the survey within the next year.