Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (SP)

Udupi, Jul 11: One of the eight Maths of Udupi has approached High Court against the action of tahsildar in issuing notices repeatedly to the Math, threatening to take over some lands owned by it.

In the petition, Krishnapur Math has explained, that the Math, one of the Ashta Maths established centuries ago by Madhwacharya, has been relying on income from the land it owns, for sustenance. When Karnataka Land Reforms Act was ammended, the Math had filed a declaration as required under section 66 of the said act, providing details of lands owned by it. In 1972, Udupi Land Disputes Tribunal had passed an order, vesting the Math with right over the said lands.

Udupi tahsildar on May 8, 2007, issued a notice to the Math, asking why penalty should not be imposed on the Math as per the provisions of the act and why the said lands should not be taken over by the government, the petitioner stated. After the Math said that the ownership of the land stands vested with the Math as per an order of the Land Tribunal, the tahsildar sought copies of the said order. But the Math refused to oblige.

The Udupi tahsildar started regularly sending notices to it, threatening to tack the land in question back. The Math prays for a stay on all these notices and also any subsequent actions the tahsildar may propose to take.

Justice Huluvadi G Ramesh has asked the government to procure the records and also to ensure that the tahsildar in question attends the next hearing.