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HYDERABAD, INDIA, August 29, 2003: As a gesture to ryots, (small and marginal farmers), the Andhra Pradesh government has decided to sell temple land now held by ryots under lease to them if they want to purchase the land and if such a deal benefits the temple concerned. The ryots will be asked to pay only two-thirds of the market value prevailing in the village or town and in four installments. The definition for ryot for this purpose has been revised to mean one holding not more than five acres of dry land, including the temple land, or not more than 2.5 acres of wet land and having an income of not more than $20 per month and not owning a building worth $417 or vacant site not exceeding 200 sq. yards in a municipality. The Minister for Endowments, D. Sivarama Raju, denied the allegation that the policy of open auction of temple lands for lease had hit the landless poor and small/marginal farmers, with some of them losing whatever temple land they possessed under the old policy to landlords and the rich who could quote high bids. However, the minister said there was no bar preventing anybody from participating in the auction. What all the department wanted was to improve its earnings for the temple out of their lands

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