The Madras High Court on Thursday directed the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department to submit within two weeks the details of encroachments on temple lands situated across the State and the steps that had been taken so far to retrieve those properties.
The court also expressed its displeasure over many complaints of such encroachments on temple properties.
Acting Chief Justice Munishwar Nath Bhandari and Justice P.D. Audikesavalu said the public officials were paid salaries only to perform their duties diligently. They warned that the court would not hesitate to order withholding the salaries of the HR&CE officials concerned, if they fail to have an effective control over their subordinates who were duty bound to protect the interests of temples.
The oral observations were made during the hearing of a public interest litigation petition which insisted on removing the encroachments from 87 acres of the Trisoolanathanar temple land at Trisoolam near Alandur in Chennai.
