CHENNAI: The HR&CE Department has reclaimed 163.40 acres of encroached temple land, valued at Rs 148.91 crore, in the six months since the C Joseph Vijay government took office, and has also collected Rs 213 crore in outstanding dues from temple properties.

According to the department, it surveyed 17,707.10 acres of temple land and installed 13,233 boundary stones to demarcate and protect the properties.

As part of its efforts to retrieve encroached properties, the department filed 23,815 cases before Joint Commissioner courts under Section 78 of the Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Act.

The department also secured patta transfers for 34.82 acres in the names of 15 temples. Further, after appeals to Revenue Divisional Officers to correct errors in computerised land records, the department obtained pattas for 262 acres in the names of 226 temples.

Meanwhile, the department has stepped up efforts to collect rent and arrears from occupants of temple-owned shops and buildings. The department issues periodic demand notices to tenants, acknowledges payments through receipts, and updates outstanding balances after accounting for previous payments.

It is also making arrangements to send periodic SMS alerts to tenants, informing them of their rental liabilities and pending dues.

The department said it would continue its efforts to safeguard temple-owned properties, remove encroachments and restore possession of the assets to the respective temples.