Back to the old system of rent collection: tenants of temple land

Tenants of temple land have urged the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) department to recover rent based on the old system for residential land.

According to them, the rent based on the new system, which is calculated on the basis of square feet rate, is very high and many cannot afford to pay it. above.

S Elumalai, Treasurer, Tamil Nadu Koil Manaiyal Kudiruppar Sangam said that earlier they used to pay annual lease amount.

“We are not asking for the old rate to be applied again. That is not fair. The new rate is based on other properties in the neighborhood. Those plots are developed and have facilities including electricity and water connection. The temples where we built our houses were developed by our forefathers, who wanted to support the respective temples,” he said.

The Sangam has requested the department to ensure online payment facility in all the temples.

“Many temple trustees are not agreeing to online payment mode. In some other temples, no receipt is given for the rent paid. They say we are encroachers instead of tenants,” said another Sangam member.

Another demand of the Sangam is that leases be issued to house builders on Porombok land near the temple.

A tenant said that this is the policy of the state government.