The Tamil Nadu Revenue Department has withdrawn a government order issued on September 9, 2025, following proceedings in the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court. The move came amid allegations that the order could have opened a route for temple lands to be shifted into private hands under the guise of hearing appeals.
Across Tamil Nadu, temples and mutts hold thousands of acres donated with proper documentation, but many parcels are said to be encroached upon. While the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department has been taking legal steps to recover such lands, some individuals have been asserting ownership by citing patta details and filing appeals with the Revenue Department.
The withdrawn order proposed a high-level committee, headed by the Chief Secretary and including the Revenue Secretary among six members, to address appeal-related issues under the Tamil Nadu Minor Inams law for ryotwari patta lands. The committee was to decide which lands should face a registration ban and which should be released from such restrictions.
Activists pointed out that temple-owned lands are shown with a zero guideline value on the Registration Department portal and are marked with the letter “T” in Revenue records. They warned that if a committee were to lift registration blocks based on incorrect information, temple lands could be taken over with official support.
Following the petition and the court’s intervention, the Revenue Department informed the court that it would cancel the order. Social activists said the High Court’s scrutiny helped prevent an attempted grab, and questioned why a new committee was proposed when mechanisms to hear patta-related appeals already exist.
