While dealing with a petition filed by Mr M. Venakatacharyulu, chairman of the trust board of Venkateswaraswamy temple, stating that the district administration was making efforts to alienate 53 acres of temple land to Bel for establishing an additional unit to manufacture and supply of optical and opto-electronic vision devices, the court asked the government not to allot the land till further orders.
The petitioner informed the court that the land, which was proposed for alienation, is the main source of income for the temple.
The petition also said the temple was founded in 1669 and devotees gifted the land for the purpose of nithya deeparadhana (the daily rituals of the temple).