Acquire land for Guruvayur Temple: High court

The Kerala High Court has declined to review its direction to the state government to acquire land around the Guruvayur temple within 25 metres from the outer wall of the temple for its safety and future development.

Dismissing the review petition filed by the government, the Division Bench consisting of Justice S Sankarasubban and Justice K K Dinesan, held that there was no sufficient cause to condone the delay of 643 days in filing it.

Over a decade ago, a division bench on a public interest writ petition filed by one Mr C K Rajan directed the devaswom to acquire the land within 100 metres from the outer wall of the temple for its safety and future development. A committee constituted by the state government in this connection in Feb 1997 recommended acquisition of land within 25 metres for the immediate development of the temple.

Later, the government came out ordering that land within 10 metres of the temple wall alone should be acquired and this was challenged by the Guruvayur Devaswom Employees Association. The Court quashed the government order and directed it to complete acquisition within 25 metres within a period of two months, which was also upheld by the Supreme Court.