CHENNAI: Property worth Rs 24 crore on

,

, belonging to

was recovered after the temple authorities evicted tenants who were living and sub-letting the place for the past 100 years. With the help of the police, temple officials evicted tenants from a total area of 10,000 sqft.

“The property belonging to the temple was let out on rent to Nallavenna Mudaliar and M Krishnamurthy nearly 100 years back and since then the two families have sub-let to householders as well shopkeepers,” Kapali temple executive officer D Kaveri told TOI.

The property is situated opposite to

on R K Mutt Road. “We sent several notices asking them to pay rent accruing to a total of Rs 73 lakh. Mudaliar’s son was in-charge of part of the property. He owes Rs 17 lakh in rent arrears,” said the executive officer.

The tenants were not paying the fair rent fixed by the temple and were paying pittance. Fair rent is a rent fixed in between guideline value and market value. “Both have not paid the fair rent for the property. The property was divided into 3 residential houses and 15 shops and the main tenants were earning by sub-letting the property,” she said.

Every now and then Kapali temple has been recovering property in and around Mylapore due to the prodding of the temple fit person Vijaykumar Reddy. In December last year, temple authorities retrieved property measuring 4,952sqft at Triplicane after the occupant failed to pay rent dues to the extent of Rs 34.12 lakh. The total worth of the property is Rs 12 crore.

“The occupant was paying only Rs 10,000 as monthly rent for the land against the fair rent of Rs 40,000. The joint commissioner of Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments department terminated the lease in 2015 as the press owner refused to pay the balance amount,” said Kaveri.

Similarly, properties on Greenways Road and Luz Church Road have been recovered in the last few years.