Coimbatore Consumer Cause (CCC) has urged the Tamil Nadu government to formulate a policy to protect bona fide purchasers of DTCP-approved plots and houses that are subsequently identified as temple lands.

In a representation submitted by its secretary, K. Kathirmathiyon, to Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay, the organisation said property owners who had purchased plots in approved layouts after verifying revenue and registration records, obtaining legal opinions, registering sale deeds, securing building plan approvals and availing themselves of bank loans were facing difficulties after such properties were classified as “zero value” in registration records on the ground that they were temple lands.

The organisation said purchasers had relied on approvals and records issued by government departments and should not be penalised for administrative lapses. It said if the lands were temple properties, the status should have been reflected in the Revenue and Registration records before layout approvals and registrations were granted.

CCC sought a mandatory no-objection certificate from the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department before the Directorate of Town and Country Planning (DTCP) approved any layout. It also called for integration of the records of the HR&CE, Revenue, Registration and DTCP departments, besides a comprehensive survey and digitisation of temple properties.

The organisation further sought protection for existing purchasers of DTCP-approved plots, accountability for officials responsible for lapses in approvals and registrations, and action against those responsible for fraudulent transactions without affecting the rights of bona fide purchasers.

It also requested the government to constitute a high-level committee comprising representatives of the HR&CE, Revenue, Registration, DTCP and Law departments to frame a policy to safeguard both temple properties and the interests of bona fide purchasers.

Published - August 05, 2026 08:20 pm IST