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Joint Survey to Settle Kondagattu Temple-Forest Boundary Row

KARIMNAGAR: A long-standing land dispute between the forest department and the Kondagattu Anjaneya Swamy Temple management in Jagtial district is moving towards resolution, with the district forest officer (DFO), M. Ravi Prasad, seeking a joint inspection by the Survey and Land Records Department to demarcate boundaries between forest land and temple property. The dispute intensified after the forest department issued a show-cause notice alleging that the temple had encroached upon about six acres of protected forest land in Compartment No. 684. Officials said key structures, including the Annadana Satram, executive office building and guest houses, were constructed on the disputed land without prior approval from the Central government, in violation of the Forest Conservation Act, 1980. Amid the legal scrutiny, temple executive officer T. Srikanth Rao proposed a land exchange, seeking four acres in Survey No. 573 for parking and devotee facilities and offering an equivalent four acres of temple land in Survey No. 362. Forest officials, however, clarified that any exchange or use of forest land must be routed through the 'Parivesh 2.0' online portal and approved by the National Nodal Officer in Hyderabad. The temple management cited the heavy influx of pilgrims as the reason for seeking additional land. During Hanuman Jayanti celebrations in April and May, lakhs of devotees visit the hilltop shrine. In the absence of authorised parking facilities, vehicles are forced onto main roads, leading to severe traffic congestion and safety concerns. Officials said the proposed joint inspection by the assistant director of Survey and Land Records will determine the legal status of the total 10 acres involved, the six acres already in use and the four acres newly sought. Once boundaries are clearly fixed and the endowments department submits the required proposals online, the government will take a final call on permanent land allotment for temple use. Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, T. Srikanth Rao said the temple is surrounded by dense forest and attracts thousands of devotees every week, with footfall surging into lakhs during Hanuman Jayanti. "Due to the lack of proper parking space, vehicles are currently being parked along roadsides, causing inconvenience to devotees. We have requested four acres in Survey No. 573 for parking and facilities, and are ready to provide an equivalent extent from Survey No. 362," he said. He added that the boundary dispute has led to uncertainty even for the forest department, which has avoided disputed areas while constructing towers. "We requested a joint survey to fix coordinates and clearly define boundaries," he said. DFO M. Ravi Prasad told Deccan Chronicle that the temple had utilised around six acres of forest land in Compartment No. 684 and constructed buildings long ago without prior approval from the Government of India, violating the Forest Conservation Act. "For any land allotment or exchange, the temple authorities must apply through the Parivesh 2.0 portal, but no such application has been made so far," he said. He added that the forest department has sought details of the executive officers in charge at the time of construction to initiate action against those responsible. "We have requested the assistant director of Survey and Land Records to conduct a joint inspection to fix forest boundaries. Once this exercise is completed, the dispute can be resolved," he said.

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