Banashankari temple land looted

Goes Down From 140 Acres To 20: Lok Ayukta
Times of India

The famous Banashankari temple on Tuesday was as usual bustling with devotees. One distinguished visitor, however, created quite a stir when he started pulling up officials.

After the hospitals, corporation and other government offices, the Lok Ayukta this time round turned his attention to temples. And what Lok Ayukta N. Venkatachala and his team found is that the temple had shrunk in the last several years. In Lok Ayukta’s own words: The 140 acres of temple land is no longer with the temple but had been encroached upon or given away to various persons. Less than 20 acres remain with the temple presently.’’

This means that the temple has lost approximately Rs 250 crore worth of land at Rs 2 crore per acre. The Lok Ayukta who had visited the temple last year, had ordered that a compound wall be built to prevent further encroachment. One good thing came of that visit. Several people who had encroached upon two acres had been evicted; the recovered land is worth about Rs 4 crore.

Not just land, the team found that valuables too vanished. The temple receives expensive silk sarees, gold jewellery and other valuables from devotees which are supposed to be auctioned. But no auction takes place and valuables are disposed of for a fraction of their value.

The Lok Ayukta took to task Muzrai officials under whose department the temple falls, and the PWD staff.
By this time, the officials were quaking in their shoes, for, the Lok Ayukta hadn’t completed his mission. He inspected the area where pillars were being sculpted and ordered that the pillars be erected within a month and all other works completed before mid-2005.

He then turned his attention to the staff quarters and ordered that one section should be done away with and a public toilet be built. Also that those enjoying rent-free accommodation should henceforth pay rent. His other diktats: Build a structure to accommodate visitors coming from faroff places; demolish the illegal shop within the temple premises.

The temple staff and the officials must have breathed easy after the Lok Ayukta’s team left.
But just one point: Where do all the temple offerings, including valuables, go? God knows!