HC stays bid to regularise temple land encroachments

The Madras High Court on Friday stayed till further orders a part of a Tamil Nadu Government Order that envisaged issuing housing 'pattas' to homeless squatters of temple lands.

Seeking details about number of encroachers, it directed the government to spell out measures taken against them as per the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Act (HR and CE Act) and action against officials for not taking prompt measures against the illegal occupants.

A division bench comprising Justice M Sathyanarayanan and Justice N Seshasayee in an interim order held that there was prima facie merit in submissions praying for interim stay on the impugned G.O issued in August by the Revenue and Disaster Management Department.

After hearing the petitioner and the government on the miscellaneous petition on a PIL, the bench said it "finds that prima facie there is merit in the submission made in aid of an order for stay of Para 2(V) of the impugned government order."