Will de-reserve land for Bannari temple: Min

CHENNAI: Forest Minister M Mathiventhan on Tuesday informed the House that the department is ready to sanction land for Bannari Amman Temple in reserve forest area to create facilities for the devotees, if alternative land has been provided.

The temple was situated on the buffer zone in Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve Forest. The department had sanctioned 20 acres in January 1992 after de-reserved from reserved forests. Now, the temple administration is seeking 10 hectares of reserve forest land and an alternative site in the revenue porambokku land.

However, the alternative site was unfit for forestation, said the Minister while responding to the special call attention motion moved by AIADMK legislator KA Sengottaiyan.