Preserving temple lands in State must be top priority

Hyderabad: Endowments Department M Hanumantha Rao on Wednesday said that preserving temple lands in the State should be the top most priority.

A review meeting was held with the senior officers of the department and the executive officers of all the main temples at Endowments headquarters here on Wednesday. Commissioner Hanumantha Rao said that the lands of various temples in the state should be protected and boundaries should be erected in collaboration with the revenue department.

The commissioner asked the officials to take possession of the encroached lands with the help of revenue department officials. Appropriate counters should be filed in relation to the temple lands in the courts.

During the current summer holidays, large number of devotees will visit the temples, keeping this in mind, the commissioner has directed the officials to ensure shads, cold drinks and water facilities. He said that priority should be given to common devotees and ensure better infrastructure so that devotees can visit again and again.The commissioner wanted adequate quality to be maintained in Prasads. He made it clear that accounts related to income and expenditure related to temples should be maintained strictly and any kind of irregularities will not be tolerated. Neglect of duties will not be tolerated, he said. Temple priests, priests and lower level staff were ordered to take immediate steps to solve the problems.

Hanumantha Rao stated that they should organize review meetings with their officials and staff every week. He said that boards should be displayed in every temple with information about the history and fame of that temple.