Gods don’t ask us to encroach public land, build temples: HC

Gods don’t ask us to encroach public land, build temples: HC

Sureshkumar.K@timesgroup.com

Chennai:30.07.2021 

Neither Jesus nor Lord Ayyappa nor Lord Ganesha comes and asks us to build temples, but it has become common among all religions to encroach upon public land and pedestrian spaces to construct temples, the Madras high court said on Thursday.

“Did they (gods) come knocking on our doors to build temples encroaching public land?” a division bench of Justice N Kirubakaran and Justice T V Thamilselvi asked.

The court made the observations while hearing a plea moved by G Devarajan, a resident of Sembium, alleging that temples had been illegally constructed on pedestrian platforms and public roads in Otteri.

Admitting the plea, the bench directed Greater Chennai Corporation to inspect and ascertain the extent of encroachment made by such structures. The corporation has also been directed to file a report on action taken to remove the encroachment.

According to the petitioner, a 30-feet public road in Chellappa Street in Otteri has been encroached upon on both the sides by illegally constructing three temples – Shri Sithi Vinayagar Temple, Manimudi Maamari Aalayam, and Shri Ayyappan Sannithanam. Due to the encroachments, only 14 feet of the road is accessible to the public, he said.

The encroachment is hindering free flow of traffic on the busy road and emergency vehicles such as ambulances, fire trucks cannot pass through the road, he added.

Despite repeated representations, the corporation has failed to take any action to remove the illegalities. It appears that they have no intention to take any step for removal of any encroachment from the road or road margins, he said. The petitioner added that this is the situation despite the fact that the corporation has constituted a special task force to remove such encroachment and a monitoring committee has been established to monitor the same.