Jamshedpur: BJM Demands Action Against Surya Mandir Samiti for Illegal Occupation

Delegation Led by Jamshedpur District President Subodh Srivastava Submits Memorandum to ADC

The Bharatiya Jantantra Morcha Jamshedpur Mahanagar, led by District President Subodh Srivastava, has demanded urgent action against the Surya Mandir Samiti Sidhgora for alleged illegal occupation of properties built on government land with government funds and using them for commercial purposes.

JAMSHEDPUR – A delegation from the Bharatiya Jantantra Morcha (BJM) Jamshedpur Mahanagar, led by Jamshedpur District President Subodh Srivastava, submitted a memorandum to the Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) in the absence of the Deputy Commissioner, demanding action against the Surya Mandir Samiti Sidhgora for the illegal occupation of properties built on government land with government funds for commercial use.

In the memorandum, the BJM accused the Surya Mandir management committee and other temples next to Son Mandap of occupying and commercializing properties developed with government funds for several years.

The administration has been urged to curb these activities, which the BJM claims misuse MLA funds and other government resources.

The allegations are supported by a district administration investigation report.

The delegation said that following the 2019 assembly elections, former Chief Minister Raghubar Das secured approximately Rs 15 lakh from the development fund of then-Rajya Sabha MP Mahesh Poddar for the boundary construction of the Surya Mandir premises.

According to the delegation, the boundary separated government land outside the temple premises, but it was later demolished by Surya Mandir Committee members.

The Jamshedpur Notified Area Committee (JNAC) lodged an FIR at Sidhgora police station, but no action has been taken, the delegation alleged.

The BJM claims the boundary demolition was part of a conspiracy to illegally occupy about three acres of government land outside the temple premises.

This land includes a children’s park built with Tourism Department funds, which was handed over to JNAC.

According to the delegation, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Surya Mandir Committee members allegedly dismantled the park structure, prompting local opposition and an FIR from the District Tourism Officer.

The park was later re-established with additional equipment funded by MLA Saryu Roy.

The BJM also highlighted that Surya Mandir Committee members charged an entry fee for the children’s park and Shankh Maidan Park, both built with government funds, until a written warning from the Sub-Divisional Officer stopped the illegal collections.

The delegation said that the committee allegedly occupies several buildings on the temple complex’s right side, constructed with MLA and district plan funds, for commercial purposes.

It claimed that during Raghubar Das’s tenure, the committee took over Son Mandap and Yatri Niwas, declaring them non-operational to avoid tendering.

These assets were run privately, with profits deposited in private bank accounts until JNAC took possession and recovered around Rs 15 lakh.

The delegation alleged that a Comptroller and Auditor General audit revealed the Tourism Department’s misinformation about the operational status of these assets.

The local MLA’s inquiries confirmed the land and structures are government-owned and illegally used for commercial purposes.

In 2018, solar power plants producing 42 kilowatts of electricity were installed on Son Mandap, Yatri Niwas, and Town Hall under the state’s solar policy.

However, the electricity was used in Surya Mandir and other temples, leaving substantial electricity bills unpaid, the delegation said.

Tata Steel UISL (formerly Jusco) disconnected Town Hall’s power supply due to unpaid bills, affecting bookings, it claimed.