Puducherry — The Communist Party of India (Marxist) in Puducherry on Saturday submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister N. Rangasamy seeking revocation of an auction for agricultural land belonging to the Sri Subramaniya Swamy Devasthanam in Karayamputhur, alleging the sale was carried out without the consent of the Department of Hindu Religious Institutions and has put long‑term tenant farmers at risk.
Party alleges procedural lapse, demands action
CPI(M) Puducherry State secretary S. Ramachandran and other party leaders handed over the memorandum in the Chief Minister's chamber at the Legislative Assembly, according to the party. The CPI(M) said 22 farmers have been cultivating the devasthanam's agricultural land for around 50 years under a lease and had been paying the lease fees regularly.
In the memorandum, the party claimed the land was put up for auction on 2 August 2026 without prior notice to the cultivators and without obtaining approval from the Department of Hindu Religious Institutions. The CPI(M) urged the government to cancel the lease‑auction notification and to take appropriate action against the officials responsible for any procedural lapses.
Allegations on lease terms and subsidy collection
The CPI(M) also alleged that the devasthanam administration had increased the annual lease from ₹70,000 to ₹90,000, a hike which the party described as punitive.
Mr. Ramachandran alleged the lease amount had been increased from ₹70,000 to ₹90,000 “out of vindictiveness.”
The memorandum further stated that the temple administration had been collecting a portion of a government subsidy intended for farmers, treating it as a tax, and that it was demanding the full lease payment at the beginning of the year, which the CPI(M) said was placing undue burden on the cultivators.
Party calls for legal protection for tenant farmers
Alongside the request to annul the auction notification, the CPI(M) asked the Puducherry government to consider enacting legislation modelled on the Tamil Nadu Agricultural Lands Record of Tenancy Rights Act, 1969, to provide statutory protection for tenant cultivators on temple lands and elsewhere, the memorandum said.
The party asked officials to ensure the continued cultivation of the land by the existing tenants and to implement measures that would prevent arbitrary eviction or unilateral changes to lease conditions.
Data at a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Number of tenant farmers | 22 |
| Tenure of cultivation | Approximately 50 years |
| Previous annual lease | ₹70,000 |
| Revised annual lease (alleged) | ₹90,000 |
| Auction notification date | 2 August 2026 |
Local impact and next steps
If the auction proceeds, the CPI(M) warned, it could displace families who have tilled the land for generations and affect agricultural output in the area. The party has asked the administration to investigate the circumstances under which the auction was issued and to suspend any further action on allotment pending the inquiry.
The memorandum seeks a probe into whether statutory procedures under the administration of devasthanam properties were followed and whether the Department of Hindu Religious Institutions had authorised the auction. It also requests that subsidy disbursements intended for farmers be protected from appropriation by temple bodies.
Administration response awaited
As of filing, there was no response recorded from the Chief Minister's office or from the devasthanam authorities in the report. The CPI(M) statement said it expected the government to consider immediate steps to safeguard tenant rights and to examine the conduct of the auctioning process.
- Party seeks cancellation of auction notification dated 2 August 2026.
- Calls for action against officials if the auction lacked departmental approval.
- Suggestions include a statutory protection for tenant farmers similar to Tamil Nadu law.
The issue underscores tensions that can arise where religious endowments hold agricultural land and highlights calls from political parties for clearer legal protections for long‑term tenant farmers in Puducherry.
