Bihar govt mandates detailed registration of temples, mutts, and trusts

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The Bihar government has directed all DMs to ensure that unregistered temples, mutts, and trusts in their respective areas are registered and details of their immovable assets are submitted to the Bihar State Board of Religious Trusts (BSBRT) for uploading on its website.

The BSBRT operates under the state's law department.

State Law Minister Nitin Nabin on Thursday told PTI, "All district magistrates (DMs) have been directed to ensure that unregistered temples, mutts, and trusts are registered on a priority basis."

He also instructed the DMs to ensure that details of immovable assets of all registered temples and mutts are promptly provided to the BSBRT for uploading on its website.

"I recently sent a letter to all DMs in this regard. So far, only 18 districts have submitted data to the BSBRT," he added.

The minister added, "According to the Bihar Hindu Religious Trusts Act of 1950, all public temples, mutts, trusts, and dharamshalas must be registered with the BSBRT. The state government will take stringent action against those involved in illegal property transactions of registered temples, mutts, or trusts, as well as against unregistered entities that fail to register with the BSBRT."

A high-level meeting with officials from the Law and Revenue and Land Reforms departments will be convened to address these issues. Registration is mandatory to protect the property, including land, of both registered and unregistered temples from unauthorised claims, the minister said.

According to the latest data from BSBRT, there are approximately 2,512 unregistered temples and mutts in the state, owning 4,321.64 acres. The state has about 2,499 registered temples, which collectively own over 18,456 acres.

According to data, the highest numbers of unregistered temples and mutts are in Vaishali (438), followed by Kaimur Bhabhua (307), West Champaran (273), Bhagalpur (191), Begusarai (185), Saran (154), and Gaya (152).

Kaimur Bhabhua has 307 unregistered temples and mutts owning around 813 acres, while Khagaria has 100 unregistered entities with 722 acres. Banka district has 78 unregistered temples and mutts with approximately 332 acres.