Karur Inam land titles were never in the name of temples: Tamil Nadu HR&CE Minister Ramesh

Tamil Nadu's Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Minister, K. Ramesh, has strongly defended the state government's decision to allow the registration of inam lands in the names of individuals, asserting that such land titles were never officially held by temples. Speaking in an exclusive interview with The Hindu on July 27, 2026, Ramesh emphasized that the recent policy change aligns with historical legal frameworks and clarifies long-standing misconceptions surrounding temple land ownership. Ramesh clarified that the government had removed transaction restrictions only on 471 specific survey numbers located in Karur district. He cited the legal clarity surrounding these lands, noting that individual titles were granted under the Inam Abolition Act several decades prior. These titles are documented in the Unified Development Record (UDR), computerized chitta records, and other primary revenue documents, none of which list the lands under the names of temples. Additionally, no temple has filed a civil suit to claim ownership of these particular survey numbers, according to the minister. He explained that the granting of individual titles occurred under the legal provisions in force at the time, approximately 60 to 70 years ago. Since then, these lands have been occupied, developed into residential properties, and portions transferred among family members. The existence of these pattas, land titles, enabled individuals to conduct property transactions, secure bank loans, and engage in buying and selling land without legal barriers. Ramesh pointed out that the government itself had acquired parts of these lands for public infrastructure projects and made compensations to the titleholders, a move that would not have been legally permissible unless the individuals held valid legal titles. The minister highlighted the incident involving the fraudulent registration of land belonging to the Dhandayuthapaniswamy Mutt in Palani in the names of two individuals as a wake-up call. This led to the initiation of a pilot project aimed at verifying all properties associated with the Palani temple. According to Ramesh, this verification effort would be expanded to include all major temples throughout the state. A special committee comprising officials from both the HR&CE and Revenue Departments has been established to carry out this task. Ramesh noted that efforts to sell the Palani land began well before the current administration took office. He mentioned that the Joint Commissioner of the HR&CE Department had repeatedly communicated with relevant authorities, indicating that the land was under dispute and advising against its registration. Despite these warnings, a temporary official from another Sub-Registrar’s office processed the registration in one day while the regular officer was away on leave. Upon learning of the registration, which gained public attention after the Chief Minister visited Karur, the HR&CE Department promptly filed an appeal and issued formal warning letters. They also took all necessary legal actions and lodged a police complaint. Ramesh stated that he personally informed the Chief Minister about the situation and requested the case be transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CB-CID) for an unbiased probe. The Chief Minister swiftly approved the request. Addressing issues related to rent collection from temple properties, Ramesh outlined two main challenges faced by the department. One involves existing tenants who fail to pay rent regularly. To address this, the department has initiated legal action under Section 78 by sending statutory notices demanding payment of outstanding rents. Failure to comply could result in eviction and repossession of the properties.