Temple tenants urge CM to implement G.O. fixing rents

Tenants of temple properties have urged Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay to intervene and implement the G.O. fixing rents, issued by the previous government for residential properties. An estimated 20 lakh families would be directly impacted by this G.O. 85 issued on 17.2.2026.

“That order was issued after much deliberation. The present government can go into the pros and cons of it before taking a call. It would save much time and energy and ensure that the temples get the revenue on time,” said V. A. Balasubramanian, president, Tamil Nadu Koil Saarndhu/Saaradha Manaiyil Kudiyuruppor Sanga Koottamaippu.

D. Sasikumar, a committee member of the Sangam, said that though the order in question was issued a few months before the Assembly elections, it was not implemented by the respective temples. It was issued after tenants complained that the previous order issued in 2016 stipulated rent rates that were too steep.

Since there is no rule that fixes the rates of rent or lease due to the respective deities, the fixation of rents kept changing with every government.

Only a Section of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Act says rents ought to be collected.

Mr. Balasubramanian also said that the temples must allow repairs to buildings and should not stipulate that the tenants should sign a gift deed to get a change in the name of the tenant.

“Rents were fixed the last time based on prevailing rents on the respective areas. But we objected to this too as properties constructed by private individuals by providing drinking water, sewage and electricity connections on lands that they owned cannot be equated to temple properties where the super structure was constructed by the tenants.”

Mr. Sasikumar, who is also the president of the Thiruvalleswarar Nagar Welfare Association, a temple property, also suggested that the temples must undertake an exercise to identify sub-let and sub-sold properties and bring them into the rental fold. “This would bring an increase in revenue to temples. At present, nobody collects rents from these enjoying these properties,” he added.