Karkala: In a complaint filed with the district administration, the Hindu Welfare Forum has alleged that more than 70 acres of government land has been encroached by the St Lawrence Church in Attur.
Handing over a formal complaint to the Deputy Commissioner, the organisation further said that the encroached land was now being used to carry out various illegal activities such as the chopping down and smuggling of timber wood.
The complaint states that a public road has been destroyed by the Nitte Panchayat and traffic has been affected. By setting up a wire fence around the hill and carrying out other such works, 500 acres of the adjacent farmland have been destroyed. The effects are reportedly worse when it rains and sludge flows down the hill.
Urging the government to probe all irregularities in the Church and take strict action against the guilty, the organisation said that it would stage a protest if their demands were not met within 15 days.
Hindu Welfare Forum President Ratnakar Amin and Secretary Ramesh Kalkotte were present.