Gaya: In a bid to ensure that temple and Math lands remain free from encroachments, the district administration has begun documenting the properties of religious institutions as part of the ongoing special land survey. The exercise is aimed at ensuring that the properties of such institutions are registered with the Bihar State Religious Trust Board.Gaya DM Shashank Shubhankar, who held a meeting with priests, mahants, representatives of various temples and Maths and revenue officials, told the officials to ensure that all temple and Math lands in the district are properly documented during the ongoing special land survey.“The administration had received complaints of encroachments and illegal occupation of temple and Math lands at several places. Legal action would be initiated wherever adequate documentary evidence was available. Ensure that all such properties are duly registered with the Bihar State Religious Trust Board,” he told the officials.Shashank urged mahants and priests to submit land records, ownership documents and other relevant details to the district settlement office at the earliest so that the properties could be correctly entered in the special survey.He also ordered a legal review of cases in which temple or Math land had been recorded in the names of private individuals. The district magistrate said land recorded in the names of temples and Maths in previous surveys would not be transferred to private individuals under any circumstances.
