The Minister made the announcement while speaking to the media after distributing welfare assistance worth ₹1.14 crore to 71 beneficiaries at the Perambalur District Collectorate. Shah Jahan said that he has raised the matter before Revenue Minister K Sengottaiyan regarding the regularisation of illegal minority religious structures. He added that Sengottaiyan assured that the government would conduct a survey and take steps to issue pattas to eligible religious institutions.
VIDEO | Perambalur: The Tamil Nadu government is taking steps to issue land pattas to thousands of churches, mosques and dargahs that have been functioning without proper land documents for decades, Minister for Minorities Welfare A M Shah Jahan said on Saturday. Speaking to reporters after distributing welfare assistance worth Rs 1.14 crore to 71 beneficiaries at the Perambalur District Collectorate, he said he had taken up the issue with Revenue Minister K Sengottaiyan, who had assured that a survey would be conducted and steps taken to issue pattas to eligible religious institutions. He said representations had been made seeking pattas for places of worship that had been functioning for more than 25 to 50 years without land ownership documents. Necessary documentation would be undertaken in the coming days, he added. (Full video available on PTI Videos – https://t.co/bIyFWTfmBd)
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According to Shah Jahan, representations were made by minority communities to the government seeking pattas for illegal places of worship standing on government land for 25-50 years. The state government had decided to concede to the demand of Muslims and Christians and the necessary documentation will be undertaken soon.
Illegal religious structures have mushroomed across the state over the years. In June this year, the Madras High Court stopped the construction of a mega church on land classified as a public road in revenue records. The High Court also noted the submission that the church was being built in the vicinity of a 100-year-old Hindu temple and could be used as a centre for conversion activity.
In February 2024, the Supreme Court upheld a Madras High Court order allowing the demolition of an illegal mosque built on public land in Chennai. Validating the High Court’s decision, a bench of Justices Surya Kant and K. V. Vishwanathan ruled that such unauthorised religious structures can never be a venue for preaching religion.
