Chennai, Feb 14 (BPNS)
The Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowment (HR&CE) department is for strict measures to recover the rents of temple lands across the state that are long pending. The department in a detailed study spread across the past four months has found that the HR&CE department is to get around Rs 2000 crores as rental arrears. This includes rent for all temple properties, including commercial and residential buildings.
The HR&CE officials have started sealing the buildings including residential buildings that have failed to pay rent on time despite issuing several notices. The department has also commenced pasting the name of the defaulters on the doors of their homes.
HR&CE officials told BPNS that a top jewelry group of Tamil Nadu has rental arrears of 1.87 crores and stands among the top defaulters. This jewelry is in the compound of Rockfort Thayumanaswamy temple. The temple authorities have also sealed two shops that had Rs 14 lakh in rent arrears.
It is to be noted that since the crackdown for rental arrears began in the state, many shops have been either sealed or given a letter to the owner to provide an explanation.
The HR&CE department according to officials has revised the rents of the temple-owned properties including rental properties in 2016. However several occupants of these lands have not paid the rents for the past several years.
The Thaymunaswamy temple at Rockfort itself is to get due of Rs 6 crore as rent after the revised rates came into effect.
Vijayarani, Assistant Commissioner, Rockfort Arulmigu Thyamunaswamy temple, Vijyarani, while speaking to BPNS said,” Several shops and establishments are rent defaulters. In addition to some established bands, several small shops have also not paid rents.
P.K. Sekar Babu, Tamil Nadu minister for HR&CE while speaking to BPNS said, “ Through the online system and the Integrated Temple Management System(ITMS) and through online intervention we have collected around Rs 40 crore as rental dues but this is a small amount and the crackdown on defaulters will be on with higher efficiency and to collect maximum amount.”
Minister also said that as per the directive from the Chief Minister dues will be collected from residential owners. He also said that large commercial establishments that are to pay rent dues will have to pay immediately while small shop keepers will be allowed a small time frame to make the repayment.
