BJP senior leader Perala Sekhar Rao criticized the State government for selling temple lands at low prices for industrial use. He accused the Congress government in Telangana of following the same path as the previous BRS government in handling Hindu Charitable and Endowment Properties (HC&EPs).
The BRS government had previously given away 1,148 acres of temple lands from Sita Rama Swamy Temple in Sitaramapuram village to businesses. Now, the Congress government has allegedly done the same by selling temple lands to businesses connected to those in power for very low prices.
Sekhar Rao demanded that the government rethink its policy regarding HC&EPs and institutions. He pointed out that the BRS government had sold temple lands worth crores at Rs 10 lakh per acre to private companies, despite rules requiring open auctions for such transactions. The State High Court had even instructed the government to follow these rules, but they have ignored the court’s orders and continued to sell temple lands.
According to Sekhar Rao, the state government has given 75 acres of temple land to Premier Energy Global Environment Private Limited and another 10 acres to SS EcoCare Private Limited. He warned that this practice could lead to a loss of trust from devotees who donate to temples, and urged the State government to protect temple lands from such deals.
