Notice to government on Devaryamjal temple lands inquiry

Under what provisions of law do you intend to conduct an inquiry, asks Court

Telangana High Court on Saturday issued notices to State government and Sitaramachandraswamy temple of Devaryamjal in Shamirpet on Hyderabad outskirts, after hearing a writ petition challenging Government Order (GO) 1014 relating to the temple’s lands. Justice T. Vinod Kumar, who heard the plea moved as House Motion the previous day, instructed the government and the temple authorities to file their responses over the contentions of the petitioners. The plea was filed by Sada Satyanarayana and four others seeking a direction to stay the operation of the GO. The GO was issued on May 3 constituting a committee of four IAS officers to decide the ownership of 1,395 acres of land located in Devaryamjal of Shamirpet mandal of Medchal Malkajgiri district under different survey numbers. The petitioners wanted the court to stall the inquiry by the committee stating that their ownership of 59 acres of land would be questioned through the inquiry. They maintained that a proceeding issued earlier by Endowments department declaring that they had encroached upon the temple land was already set aside by the High Court.