Chennai: The Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) department has reclaimed 105.14 acres of encroached temple land worth ₹112.95 crore and collected ₹198.25 crore in rental arrears since the current government assumed office.The numbers were reviewed at a meeting chaired by HR&CE minister S Ramesh at a meeting held in Chennai on Thursday. The meeting assessed progress in recovering temple properties, collecting rent, renovating temples and implementing announcements made during the 2026-27 Assembly grant demands.According to a release, Joint Commissioner courts disposed of 999 cases under Section 78 of the HR&CE Act, facilitating the recovery of the encroached land. Officials have also surveyed 16,657.69 acres of temple land and installed 12,373 boundary stones.Ramesh directed officials to expedite pending encroachment cases and ensure that counter-affidavits and status reports were filed on time in court to protect temple properties.To improve rental revenue, officials were instructed to issue regular demand notices to tenants occupying temple-owned shops and buildings, provide receipts immediately after payments and maintain accurate records of outstanding dues. The department will also send SMS alerts to tenants informing them of rent payable and pending arrears.The department has also reported progress on several announcements made during the 2026-27 Assembly grant demands.
