HYDERABAD, INDIA, January 10, 2016 (Deccan Chronicle): Presiding Deities in temples will now own lands in Telangana [as is the traditional practice across India for Hindu temples]. The Telangana state government will be registering temple lands in the name of Gods and issue fresh deeds. Since the Deity is a perpetual minor in legal terms, endowment officials in the concerned districts will sign on the registration documents on behalf of the Deities.
If the government wants to utilize temple lands for any development activity or for welfare schemes, it will have to take permission from the High Court. This is to check encroachment of temple lands and enable temple authorities to fight legal cases in courts against encroachers on their own by submitting the ownership documents.
At present, there are no proper land ownership documents with temples or the government, giving scope to land sharks to encroach on temple lands easily. Some are registered in the name of temple trusts, committees and individuals. Over 10,000 acres of temple land has already been encroached on, which the government now plans to reclaim by issuing deeds in the name of the Deities.