VADDAMANU BADRINATH Vs. COMMISSIONER OF ENDOWMENTS

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Heard Sri M.Vidyasagar, learned counsel for the petitioner. Learned G.P.for Endowments takes notice for the respondents.

(2.) The petitioners claim themselves as the direct decedents of the founder trustees of the subject temple Sri Ramalingeswara Swamy Temple at Vadlamanu village of Guntur District. It is an institution registered under Act 17 of 1966 as a Public Religious Institution, presently, within the purview of Section 15(2) of the said Act. Apart from the main temple of Sri Ramalingeswara Swamy, there are other sub temples of Sri Veera Badra Swamy, Ammavaru, Sri Anjaneya Swamy and Sri Ayyappa in this complex. This temple was constructed, as per the version of the petitioners, in the year 1935, under the registered Trust Deed of the year 1936 of the family of the petitioners.

(3.) Sri V.Venkata Rama Rao is the father of the 1st petitioner. Sri T.Brahmaiah is the father of the 2nd petitioner. By virtue of an order in O.A.No.3 of 1985, dated 31.12.1985, then Deputy Commissioner, Endowments Department, Guntur, Sri V.Venkata Rama Rao and Sri Tallam Brahmaiah along with four others were declared as hereditary trustees with reference to the subject temple. The petitioners are claiming, thus, a direct interest in these temples. Not only that they are asserting the same basing on the above order but also on the letter addressed by the Deputy Commissioner, Endowments Department, Guntur (2nd respondent) to the 1st respondent Commissioner, dated 09.11.2017, wherein it was recommended that the petitioners be declared as members belonging to the founders' family. A report of the Assistant Commissioner, Endowments Department, Guntur was also enclosed to this letter of the 2nd respondent.