Indore administration’s crackdown: ₹150 cr temple land freed from encroachment
2 min read
K K Jha
Indore: In a landmark operation, the Indore district administration, under the leadership of Collector Ashish Singh, successfully reclaimed government land worth over ₹150 crore belonging to the Khedapati Hanuman Temple and Shri Ram Temple in Pipaliyakumar, East Indore. This resolute action saw the demolition of illegal constructions, removal of unauthorized crops, and the restoration of the land to full government control, sending a strong message against land mafia activities.
Taking the matter with utmost seriousness, Collector Singh ordered the cancellation of all illegal subdivisions and transfer deeds related to the 1.1890-hectare land at Khasra No. 206 in Pipaliyakumar, in accordance with the Revenue Board’s directives. The land has now been officially recorded in the government records under the custodianship of the Collector as the administrator of the Khedapati Hanuman Temple and Shri Ram Temple.
SDM Pradeep Soni stated that a joint team of the district administration and Indore Municipal Corporation swiftly executed the order, clearing all encroachments and securing possession of the land. A notice board was also erected at the site, explicitly warning that the land belongs to the government temples and any unauthorized entry, occupation, construction, or use will be deemed illegal, with strict punitive action against violators.
Notably, under the law, priests have no authority to sell temple land. Temples are legally considered minors, with the responsibility of safeguarding their assets falling on the district Collector. The income generated from temple properties must also be credited to the temple’s account. Despite this, certain land mafias, through forged and fraudulent sale deeds, had managed to transfer the ownership of this land. Collector took decisive action to annul all such illegal transfers, addressing this grave irregularity head-on.
It is significant that, despite manipulations in revenue records, the government never relinquished its possession of the land. Through today’s operation, the district administration reasserted full control over the temple’s property, unequivocally signaling that illegal encroachments on government temple land will not be tolerated. Collector Singh further announced that the administration will now work to restore government control over all temple lands across the district, ensuring a permanent curb on such malpractices.
