Mandir Mahasangh opposes proposed law to grant ownership rights to occupants of land owned by temple trusts

Kolhapur: The Maharashtra Mandir Mahasangh, a federation of temples in the state, has opposed the proposed Maharashtra Devasthan Inams Abolition Act of 2026, stating that it will curb the autonomy of temples and snatch away their source of revenue.

In a press conference in Kolhapur on Friday, federation office bearers claimed that there are serious lapses in the law, adding that it directly attacks the religious and property rights of the community, while demanding that govt roll back the draft.

State govt has decided to grant ownership rights to occupants of land owned by temple trusts. There are over 4 lakh hectares of land belonging to temple trusts across Maharashtra.

State revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule recently said that the proposed act does not take away devasthan lands.

Prasad Kulkarni, Kolhapur district convenor of the Mandir Mahasangh, said, “Before India got Independence, from the time of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, many kings have gifted lands to the temples as ‘inam’ for carrying out rituals, conservation and to follow traditions. The ownership of the land is solely with the deity. However, sections 3 and 4 of the proposed law abolish this ‘inam’ and pass on ownership to the vahivatdar or pujari (priest). We believe this will lead to commercialization of properties and temples will lose their autonomy.”

The forum demanded that state govt extend the deadline for suggestions and objections to this proposal by another one month so that people can read and understand the proposed law to react accordingly. They demanded that govt implement the law passed by Gujarat govt against land grabbing, so that inam lands can be preserved.