E-Paper
Christians planning to retrieve properties
A SECTION of Christians in the city are planning to take back their property from the hands of unscrupulous elements. These people have wrongfully acquired the church property through a lease executed by unauthorised persons.
A SECTION of Christians in the city are planning to take back their property from the hands of unscrupulous elements. These people have wrongfully acquired the church property through a lease executed by unauthorised persons.
However, the local administration has preferred to keep mum on the issue of alleged illegal transfer/sale of property.
Bhuiyadeen, deputy secretary, Government of UP, following a meeting with secretary of the Minority Commission (Delhi) Syed Ali Tahir Rizvi directed all the district magistrates in the state vide his letter dated September 30, 1997 to remove all the illegal occupants from church properties.
In 1998, a court had declared North India Synod (NIS) as the sole owner of all Christian property in northern India.
Earlier, the American Presbyterian Mission owned the same property.
However, those who had an illegal eye on the church property continued to have their way, obviously with the connivance of some persons, in the local administration.
Following this, Arun Kumar Dean filed a PIL 1523/2000 for a direction to the government to demolish all illegal constructions raised on Christian Missionary property, church/cemetery.
On its part, the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court directed the chief secretary to get all illegal possessions and constructions removed from the land of churches and cemeteries.
The compliance of the court order was to be followed strictly.
The chief secretary on his part on June 5, 2000 directed all the commissioners and DMs including commissioner and secretary board of revenue and principal secretary (Home) to take action in pursuance of the court directive. The directive included demolition of all illegal constructions on church property and removal of illegal occupants from the same.
Subsequently, on August 10, 2000 chief secretary T George Joseph vide his letter K N-5-3420/11-2000-500 directed all DMs in the State, Deputy/Assistant IG registration to stop all sale/purchase/mortagage and leasing of property belonging to Christian missionaries. It was also ordered that the nature of the property( in case it is under Nazul) cannot be converted without prior approval of the DM. The court also directed that the transfer of such property be stopped and documents related to such property should not be entertained without the approval of the DM.
Surprisingly, illegal transfer /leasing of Christian property was allegedly still continuing, defying the above orders.
