PIL plea to protect and safeguard properties of Madurai Adheenam
The Hindu
MADURAI
The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Tuesday sought response from the State on a public interest litigation petition seeking a direction to the authorities to protect the properties belonging to the Madurai Adheenam.
A Division Bench of Justices R. Mahadevan and J. Sathya Narayana Prasad ordered notice to the State and sought the response on the petition filed by A. Radhakrishnan of Salem.
The petitioner said Section 34 of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Act speaks about alienation of immovable trust property. The Act states that any exchange, sale or mortgage and any lease for a term exceeding five years of any immovable property belonging to, or given or endowed for the purpose of, any religious institution shall be null and void unless it is sanctioned by the Commissioner as being necessary or beneficial to the institution.
As far as the Madurai Adheenam was concerned, it was having several endowed properties and the same have been mismanaged. This had resulted in loss to the Madurai Adheenam. The properties have been swindled and there was a need to safeguard them.
The petitioner said had made a representation to the authorities to secure and safeguard the properties. But, no proper steps have been taken in this regard.