Simhachalam temple land auction postponed Visakhapatnam, Oct 4 (INN): Following a representation given by peoples representatives from Visakhapatnam district, Chief Minister K Rosaiah on Monday postponed the proposed public auction of 700 acres of land in five villages belonging to the Simhachalam Devasthanam on October 4 and 6 to October 13. According to sources, the villagers from the five villages are vehemently opposed to the proposed auction. They had on Saturday protested and attacked Simhachalam Devasthanam Executive Officer C Prem Kumar to show their opposition to the proposed public auctioning of the temple lands.
According to Devasthanam sources, out of the 11,282.26 acres of temple lands gifted by the Vizianagaram Maharaja as per the 1903 survey records, a large extent has been sold to several people by those living there. These sales of the temple lands have also have been registered. 'We currently own 9,200 acres for which pattas were given in 1997 by Revenue officials after a survey, out of which 427 acres has been occupied and buildings have come up, for which the Building Regularisation Scheme is continuing, but some agriculture lands have been sold by real estate dealers, which we wish to take possession,' Prem Kumar explained.
Courts have stayed the auction of 40 acres in response to the petitions filed by tillers. Earlier, a delegation of the residents of the five villages had met Endowments Minister Gade Venkata Reddy seeking his intervention, but he had refused to stop the auctions.
News Posted: 4 October, 2010
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