Leased land: CSI diocese disputes Mahasabha’s claim

VELLORE: A new controversy has erupted in Vellore over a 360-acre site reportedly ‘leased out’ to the CSI diocese.

While a report in a section of the media on March 1 said that the All India Hindu Mahasabha submitted a petition urging the Vellore Collector to take back the land, the Vellore CSI diocese submitted a counter petition to the Collector on Monday last with copies of the patta issued for the site in question to them. The issue pertains to the land, which has a diocese-run farm, a primary and higher secondary schools, hostels, agriculture, agriculture-related training and extension activities at Kasam in Katpadi taluk.

The sprawling site was leased out to the diocese by the British rulers in 1924.

A group of CSI Vellore diocese pastors handed over a four-page petition signed by Vellore Bishop Henry Sharma Nithyanandam as also by the diocesan vice president, treasurer and pastors of the east, west, north, south and central diocesan taluks, which stated that the land was given based on a Central Government GO No:267/19-2-1924; patta No:754, survey no:2/1 Katpadi revenue village and Karigiri revenue village patta No.452,499, 983, 16, to Collector VR Subbulaxmi.

Central taluk pastor DSC Menon told reporters “the issue was being raised with an ulterior motive by vested interests backed by political powers locally.”

Asked about this, Bishop Nithyanandam claimed that the pattas were issued in 2005 and the services of the farm benefited many residents of 100 surrounding villages.

Collector Subbulaxmi has forwarded the petition to the RDO for a detailed enquiry. And there the matter rests.