The ruling TVK government has committed to retrieving nearly 13 lakh acres of ‘inam’ land belonging to temples governed under the HR&CE department across Tamil Nadu, said Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Minister S Ramesh.
Apart from improving basic amenities at temples, these land parcels, collectively worth several hundred crores, are under encroachment by lakhs of people and companies using them for agriculture, residential purposes, and commercial activities.
Minister S Ramesh said that while surveys to identify temple land have been conducted over the years, not enough attention has been given to ‘inam’ land that rightfully belongs to temples. “I have directed officials to compile details of ‘inam’ land district-wise, including survey records, the current status of retrieval efforts, and related information. The work is underway. In addition, the process of recovering encroached temple land (not ‘inam’ land) under the HR&CE department is at various stages of implementation,” he said.
The minister said efforts to recover rental arrears from shops operating within temple premises, establishments functioning on temple land, and other leased properties are also progressing. “Several court cases are pending. At present, rental dues amounting to around ₹1,500 crore are outstanding across the state. Every effort will be made to recover these dues,” he added.
‘Inam’ land refers to properties granted by rulers during the pre-Independence era, mostly as rewards for endowments for the maintenance of religious institutions, charitable activities, or public services. These land parcels were generally tax-free or subject to concessional taxation and were allotted either permanently or conditionally to individuals or institutions for religious, charitable, or service-related purposes.
The survey to identify ‘inam’ land, which had been underway for several years, was completed in 2022-23. Following this, in early 2024, the HR&CE department, registration department, and land administration department classified the guideline value of such land parcels as “zero” in the Tamil Nilam portal, effectively blocking the sale and registration of such properties.
According to official data, temples administered by the HR&CE department own 4.22 lakh acres of land, while mutts own another 0.56 lakh acres, taking the total religious institution land to 4.78 lakh acres. Of this, about 3.43 lakh acres have been fully matched with revenue records and details published on the department’s website for public access. In addition, 23,056 buildings, 76,472 vacant sites, and several agricultural properties belonging to religious institutions have been leased out.
This initiative will restore temple assets that rightfully belong to devotees and support religious activities across Tamil Nadu.
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