Tamil Nadu govt reclaims ₹7,636cr temple land since 2021
India
Since 2021, Tamil Nadu's Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department has reclaimed temple lands valued at a massive ₹7,636 crore.
This includes thousands of acres of farmland, along with vacant plots, buildings, and even land around temple tanks from 951 religious institutions.
They plan to put up fences and plaques to keep these places safe from future takeovers.
HR&CE's tech-driven approach to mapping temple properties
It's not just about land—HR&CE is also bringing in big revenue by collecting over ₹1,000 crore in overdue rent and leases.
Plus, they're using tech to map out temple properties digitally and have started regularizing tenancy for some residents.
For anyone interested in how public assets are protected (and how tech is helping), this is a pretty solid example.