CHRISTIAN BREAKING NEWS: House Cannot be Converted into Prayer Meeting Hall Without Government Approval: Madras High Court
CHRISTIAN BREAKING NEWS: House Cannot be Converted into Prayer Meeting Hall Without Government Approval: Madras High Court
A private home cannot be converted into a prayer meeting hall or place of worship without prior government approval.
Under Rule 6(4) of the Tamil Nadu District Municipalities Building Rules, 1972, and Rule 4(3) of the Panchayat Building Rules, any use of a residential site for public worship requires explicit permission from the District Collector.
If a residential building becomes a venue for large crowd prayer meetings, it is classified as a public worship space, requiring a formal change of usage and necessary permissions.
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Hi everyone.
According to The New Indian Express, the Madras High Court has ruled that a house cannot be converted into a prayer meeting hall without receiving permission from the appropriate government authorities.
Justice N Anand Venkatesh made the statement while hearing a case filed by L Joseph Wilson, a pastor from Kodavasal in Tiruvarur district, Tamil Nadu, seeking to overturn a 2024 decision by the jurisdictional tahsildar, (a revenue officer, specifically a land revenue official, in India) to seal his house and prevent him from organizing prayer meetings.
Citing a previous ruling on the subject, the judge stated that having prayer meeting in a hall requires seeking authorization from the relevant authority under the applicable rules.
As a result, the petitioner cannot have a prayer hall to conduct prayer meeting without receiving permission.
Referring to the petitioner’s promise not to use the public address system, the judge stated that not using the loudspeaker and microphone would not resolve the matter.
“The crux of the issue is that the petitioner cannot convert a house into a prayer hall to conduct prayer meetings.
That requires proper permission from the authorities,” he explained.
The judge directed the tahsildar to remove the seal from the petitioner’s property if it was not used for prayer meetings.
If the petitioner intends to convert the property into a prayer hall, he must obtain legal permission from the district collector, according to the judge.
The judge also indicated that if the building is used for prayer meetings, the respondent authorities may take necessary action under the law.
NEWS SOURCE & LINKS:
The New Indian Express
HOUSE CANNOT BE CONVERTED INTO PRAYER MEETING HALL WITHOUT GOVERNMENT APPROVAL: Madras High Court | Christian Breaking News!
HOUSE CANNOT BE CONVERTED INTO PRAYER MEETING HALL WITHOUT GOVERNMENT APPROVAL: Madras High Court | Christian Breaking News!