RAJAMAHENDRAVARAM: Hundreds of acres of temple land belonging to major shrines across West Godavari district remain under encroachment, raising concerns over the protection of valuable endowment properties. Despite repeated complaints and notices, the recovery process has been slow, with officials citing legal hurdles, inadequate records and staff shortage.
According to the Endowments Department’s records, the district has 990 temples that own 9,465 acres of land, of which 387.05 acres are under encroachment. A recent government audit found that 70.15 per cent of endowment-related issues remain unresolved, while 85 complaints regarding temple lands were received through the Public Grievance Redressal System (PGRS).
Among the major encroachments identified, 42.70 acres belonging to the Tatakeswara and Malleswara Swamy temples in Iragavaram have been occupied, followed by 28.34 acres belonging to the Nageswara Swamy Temple in Tanuku. The Veereswara Swamy Temple in Pedatadepalli has lost 23.16 acres, while 15.09 acres belonging to the Balavenkateswara Swamy Temple in Tallamudunurupadu are occupied.
In the Bhimavaram division, 13.50 acres of land belonging to Janardana Swamy Temple and 13.10 acres of Someswara Swamy Temple in Kalla are encroached upon. Other affected institutions include Malleswara Swamy Temple in Akiveedu (6.57 acres), Venu Gopala and Sita Rama temples in Veeravasaram (4.07 acres), Bhimeswara Swamy Temple in Bhimavaram (0.90 acres), Veereswara, Visweswara and Subrahmanyeswara Swamy temples in Veeravasaram (0.18 acres), and Siddeswara Swamy Temple in Attili (0.39 acres).
Officials have identified encroachments on lands belonging to several other temples, including those in Achanta, Penugonda, Cherukuwada, Siddhantam, Polamuru and Juttiga. While notices have been issued in some cases, residents and devotees allege that enforcement remains weak.
District Endowments Officer V Hari Surya Prakash told the TNIE that monitoring has been intensified, and efforts are being made to reclaim temple lands in accordance with court orders and government policy.
