Andhra Pradesh High Court issues interim order stopping alienation of endowments property

Nelapadu (Guntur dist): The division bench of Andhra Pradesh High Court comprising Chief Justice Prasanth Kumar Mishra and Justice M Satyanarayana Murthy issued interim orders on Wednesday staying the alienation of the endowments property belonging to Kanchi Kamakshi Ekambara Swamy temple in Old Guntur.

The petitioner, Juluri Hemangada Gupta, filed a writ petition stating that the two acres of land belonging to the temple is all set to be alienated and the endowment commissioner issued orders to delist the two acres from the register of properties.

Counsel for the petition C Panini Somayaji informed the division bench that Yelavarti Kutumbacharyulu donated two acres of land to the temple in 1914 for conducting the rituals in the temple.

The endowments department has been conducting auction to give the land to the bidders through lease hold rights till 2018-19. However, recently some vested interests set their eyes on the property and got the order from the endowment commissioner to get the land property. The division bench frowned upon the attempt to delist the land property and issued interim order staying the proceedings of the endowment department. Notices were issued to the commissioner and others to file affidavits.