CHENNAI: The first bench of the Madras High Court on Monday asked the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department to consider converting the families occupying temple land on East Coast Road (ECR), after being displaced by the tsunami in 2004, into tenants, if they apply.
The bench issued the instructions on a batch of petitions filed by 37 people, including Sandiran, challenging the HR&CE commissioner’s dismissal of their petitions, filed against an eviction order in 2022 on the grounds of delay.
The petitioners would be granted time if they were willing to vacate the land, the bench said. Or else, the department may consider converting them as tenants, if they apply for the same and are willing to pay the rent, the bench said and adjourned the case.
After being displaced by the tsunami in 2004, the petitioners had encroached upon the land belonging to the Alavanthar Trust, managing the land endowed to a temple spread over three villages. In 2022, the HR&CE department issued eviction notices, challenging which they petitioned the commissioner who dismissed them due to delay.