Orders reserved in case against Collectorate on temple land

CHENNAI: The first division bench of the Madras High Court had reserved orders in a petition filed for a direction to stall the move of the state government to construct the Collectorate building for the Kallakurichi district administration on the land owned by Arulmigu Arthanareeswarar Temple in Veeracholapuram near Kallakurichi.

As the arguments were over in the matter, the bench headed by Acting Chief Justice T Raja and Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy reserved the orders. Srirangam-based activist Rangarajan Narasimhan filed the petition challenging the government’s decision to construct the office on the land taken on long-term lease.

During the last hearing, the Archeology Survey of India submitted that it would acquire the Arthanareeswarar Temple for the temple’s maintenance.

Meanwhile, the petitioner submitted that the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department is not properly maintaining the Arthanareeswarar Temple. The government submitted that it has decided to conduct the consecration of the concerned temple at a cost of Rs 2.85 crore.

Recording the submissions, the judges reserved the orders with a direction to the government to file a report about the cost that would be spent for the consecration and maintenance of the temple.