Chennai: Preparing to cede away thousands of acres of temple lands encroached by squatters across the state, and despite Madras high court’s warning that the state is trying to help encroachers, the Tamil Nadu government has reiterated its stand to issue patta to the illegal occupiers.

“It is not a blanket order and the encroachments in the temple lands will be taken up temple-wise, based on the availability of temple land and after getting concurrence of the Hindu religious and charitable endowments department,” the state said through a counter filed by S Anandhan, deputy secretary, revenue department.

Even without defining the eligibility criteria to benefit under the scheme, the counter-affidavit said government had decided to grant patta for eligible poor families residing in temple lands for a ‘considerable period of time’ and the land which are no longer required for the temple, but only after compensating the department.

The yardstick applicable to residential encroachments in objectionable and non-objectionable public lands is not adopted for temple lands. In respect of such encroachments of temple lands necessary action will be taken to purchase the land from the department for which proposals would be sent to the government from temple-wise through HR and CE commissioner, the affidavit added.

This apart, to safeguard the interest of the temples and to derive income from such lands, it was decided to pay compensation as per the prevailing rules in force, it said.

“It is submitted that the statutory powers of the HR and CE commissioner is not whittled down in any manner and the commissioner will decide each case on its own merits, having regard to the parameters in the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Act,” the state said.

Citing a government order dated November 2, 2018 the state said that now temple lands are permitted to be sold for public purposes to government departments and public-sector undertakings. Accordingly, temple lands encroached by poor for residential purpose would be considered for purchase by the revenue department for grant of house-patta for eligible poor families.