Grabbed temple lands recovered; put up for auction in AP

KURNOOL: The Siddeshwara Swamy temple lands at Bethamcherla town, which have been allegedly encroached by family members of finance minister Buggana Rajendranath for decades, were put up for public auction.
Dr G. Vani Mohan, commissioner, endowments department, in a letter dated September 27 issued to the registrar of Lokayukta, said assistant commissioner of endowments in Kurnool had issued orders to put the lands for public auction. The lands are in survey numbers 61/1,61/3 and 156 located at Gorlagutta village, Bethamcherla Mandala and were duly taken possession from unauthorised occupants with immediate effect.

A news report appeared on these columns on September 13 titled ‘Bethamcherla temple lands occupied by donors' families’ bringing to public notice the encroachment of endowment lands. “The Siddeshwara Swamy temple was built by the offerings given by the Buggana family, the forefathers of finance minister Buggana Rajendranath. It has 33 acres of highly fertile lands,” said the temple executive officer Maddileti. The temple had land assets at Gurlaganata villager revenue jurisdiction lying in survey numbers 61/1 (2.03 acres), 61/3 (4.63 acres), and 12. 10 acres in survey number 156 amounting to 18.76 acres, said the executive officer.

It is alleged that Buggana Yadunath Reddy, who had illegally usurped Sri Siddeshwara Swamy's Manyam of 18.76 acres agricultural lands without obtaining the approval or sanction from the Andhra Pradesh endowment department and has allegedly been using them for his personal benefit for decades. The usurper of temple lands has not paid any amount even for the maintenance and daily rituals of Sri Siddeshwara Swamy. It is further alleged that Yadunath Reddy made pattadar passbook and computer adangal on his name.

Villagers of Bethamcherla thanked this newspaper for helping them restore temple lands quickly as the case has been going on for the past three years.