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American Baptist Missionary School land alienated for commercial complex
A great school which produced thousands of best students had gradually ruined and now being converted into a huge commercial complex even though people from their own congregation were expressing apprehensions on the trend of alienating lands and commercialisation. Similar situation is prevailing in many places across the state.
Kavali (Nellore): A great school which produced thousands of best students had gradually ruined and now being converted into a huge commercial complex even though people from their own congregation were expressing apprehensions on the trend of alienating lands and commercialisation. Similar situation is prevailing in many places across the state.
- Petition filed in HC of Hyderabad opposing school land allocation for business complex
- Justice Kodanda Ram served notices to the DGPs of both Telugu states, Union Home Ministry and to the CBI Director
- Church properties should be used for only social service and not for commercial purpose
American Baptist Missionary (ABM) School located in the heart of Kavali town looks like a deserted place for some years as the school was closed and the associated institutions had also stopped their activities.
As the government and lackadaisical official machinery kept mum on the developments, members of Samavesam of Telugu Baptist Churches (STBC) started their hidden agenda of alienation of properties for some time across the state and disputes rife among the executive members and they approached even the High Court of Andhra Pradesh on the misdeeds.
The Special Administrative Officer of the Association Anjan Prasad approached the High Court of Hyderabad recently asking for directions on the move explaining negligence of various investigation wings taking action against the irregularities. Consequently, Justice Kodanda Ram of the Hyderabad High Court gave notices to the DGPs of both Telugu states, Union Home Ministry and to the CBI Director. The issue was on sale of assets of schools, colleges, hospitals under the control of STBC in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana states.
This is not new, and many instances had occurred earlier in various districts in the unified state and some politicos also encroached these lands and some had purchased at cheaper cost threatening the Association members which made the issue complicated. In fact, these lands were provided to Russian Mennonites some centuries ago for expanding charity activities and they left the country and Property Association for Baptist Churches won a case in around 1950 taking hold on them.
There was a judgment in the Madras High Court also regarding these issues which discloses origin of the lands. Since then, STBC has been looking after these properties and irregularities also cropped up when alienated the highly valuable properties to politicos, traders and realtors for some 30-40 years. The issue was the lands located remote areas at the time of allocation and now they are in the hearts of many towns/cities across the two Telugu states and there has been huge demand for prime lands.
“The Association also complicated the issues with frequent legal litigations in courts where wilfully dodging the issue for further steps either by governments or other agencies. This is quite wrong since they were meant for only charity activities or public utility. In many towns, they are being converted as commercial places as the state government had never considered these issues,” said a senior member from the Association. Then Chief Minister of united Andhra Pradesh N Kiran Kumar Reddy planned to enact a new Law in 2013 for safeguarding over 1,000 properties of Christian missionary organisations across the states from being converted into commercial spaces.
The Protection of Christian Properties from Illegal Sale and Occupation Act, which the state government planned to protect the lands belonging to schools, hospitals, graveyards and even Bishop’s houses were shelved due to unknown reasons. The new law was aimed at regulating illegal transactions of managements of Methodist Church in India, Methodist Church in Southern Asia, Pentecostal Mission and Brethren Fellowship in India, Church of Christ, Church of India, Canadian Baptist Mission, Covenant Church, Mennonite Brethren Church and various other missions.
“There is no specific legislation in the state currently to protect the alienation of property other than the AP Endowment Act. State Governments that harass common people for a small violation are now not mulling over protecting huge properties for their vote bank that were handed over to these organisations in the guise of activities of charity,” said a ruling party leader who requested on anonymity.
By P V Prasad
