Report sought on encroachments by places of worship

Pursuant to a submission made by the government pleaders seeking more time identify the encroachers, Justice SM Subramaniam said, “Additional Government Pleader (AGP) R Janaki submitted that the details have to be collected from authorities across the State. Thus, they require some more time to submit a detailed report. Though the petitioner’s counsel sought to curtail the long adjournment, considering the volume of work, the court grants four weeks’ time to file a comprehensive report.”

Earlier, the AGP had produced a letter issued by the Principal Secretary of Municipal Administration and Water Supply (MAWS) Department, dated January 8, directing the officers to file the details. The details have to be collected from 125 municipalities, 12 Corporations and 528 town panchayats coming under the MAWS department, across the State.

Justice Subramaniam, while hearing a plea moved by one Ramakrishnan seeking to remove an unauthorised construction of a temple in Coimbatore, had directed the State on January 4 to file details on all temples, churches and mosques encroaching public land and water bodies.

He had held in his order that a deity, being a legal person, cannot be allowed to encroach public land with the help of land mafias or land grabbers.

“Encroachment can neither be approved or allowed. If the deity in a temple commits an act of encroachment, that is also to be dealt with in accordance with law and because it is a deity, the rule of law cannot be diluted,” said Justice Subramanian in his order.

He also said, “Under these circumstances, the temples, churches, mosques or any other religious institutions, if constructed by encroaching roads causes inconvenience to vehicular traffic or if any constructed on water bodies deprives citizens of water, then all are to be dealt in accordance with law.”