Bihar govt to build fences around 4,500 temples to prevent land encroachment: Minister

The Bihar government will soon start the process of fencing around 4,500 temples or mutts in the state, minister Pramod Kumar told the Assembly on Thursday. Kumar said the measure was being taken to prevent encroachment of temple land.

"The planning and development department on March 11 requested the home department to release funds for building fences around 4,500 registered temples and mutts in the state," the law minister said.

The minister further stated that his department has directed administrative heads of all districts to appoint nodal officers to manage the functioning of another 2,176 unregistered temples or mutts.

"Instructions have also been issued to furnish revenue records of 3,212 acres, worth several crores of rupees, belonging to these unregistered temples. These properties will soon be declared as government land after certain changes are made in the existing laws," said Kumar.

After the appointment of the nodal officers, these unregistered temples will function under the direct supervision of the Bihar State Religious Trust Council (BSRTC), said the minister.

Echoing a similar view, Ram Surat Rai, Bihar minister for land reforms and revenue, said the decision to run the temples under BSRTC had been taken to stop large-scale irregularities.