The Bihar government has directed all district magistrates (DMs) to ensure that no sale or purchase of immovable assets, including land, belonging to registered temples and mutts, take place in the state.
DMs have also been instructed to ensure that details of immovable assets belonging to all registered temples and mutts are immediately provided to the Bihar state board of religious trust (BSBRT) so that it can be uploaded on the latter’s website. According to the latest data compiled by the BSBRT (received from 35 districts), there are around 2,512 unregistered temples or mutts in the state and they own more than 4,321.64 acres of land. The total number of registered temples is around 2,499 in the state, according to the state government’s Law department data, and they own more than 18,456 acres of land. The BSBRT comes under the Law Department of the Bihar government.
“It’s a matter of serious concern that there are still 2,512 unregistered public temples, mutts and trusts that are running in almost all districts in the state. They must get themselves registered with the BSBRT. All DMs have been directed to ensure that such unregistered bodies in their respective districts are registered on priority basis. DMs have also been specifically directed to ensure that no sale/purchase of immovable assets, including land, of 2499 registered temples or mutts take place in their respective districts”, Bihar Law Minister, Shamim Ahmad, told PTI. “The state government will take strict action against those who indulge in illegal practices of sale or purchase of properties of registered temples,muttsor trusts. Besides, action will also be initiated against unregistered temples,mutts, trusts and Dharamshalas, who don’t get themselves registered with the BSBRT. All public temples/mutts, trusts and Dharamshalas in Bihar must be registered with the BSBRT, according to the Bihar Hindu Religious Trusts Act, 1950”, the Minister said. Registration is mandatory to protect the properties, including land, of these registered/unregistered temples from unauthorized claims as large scale irregularities have been found where priests of such temples/mutts have been selling and buying immovable assets by becoming owners, he said.
According to the latest data compiled by the state Law department, the most number of unregistered temples and mutts are in Vaishali (438), followed by Kaimur Bhabhua (307), West Champaran (273), Bhagalpur (191), Begusarai (185), Saran (154), Gaya (152) etc. Around 813 acres of land are owned by 307 unregistered temples and mutts in Kaimur Bhabhua and 722 acres of land belong to 100 unregistered public temples and mutts in Khagaria districts. In Banka district around 332 acres of land belong to 78 unregistered temples and mutts.
