Telangana priests to get wages on par with government employees: KCR

Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao on Friday announced that archakas (Preists) and employees working in the temples will be paid salaries on par with the government employees.

The announcement will be implemented from November 2017.

Rao said, "The Dhoop Deep, Naivedyam programme, which is being implemented in 1805 temples, will be extended to another 3000 temples in the state."

The CM also declared that a Dharmika Parishad has been constituted to supervise and monitor temple related issues.

"The situation of government bossing over the temples should go. This is the reason why we are forming Dharmika Parishad to take care of the temple administration and other issues thereby reducing the government's role. The temple administration will be entrusted to the Dharmika Parishad. For the welfare of Brahmins we have launched Brahmin Welfare Parishad with Rs 100 crore fund," the CM said.

In the past 1805 temples were given Rs 2,500 per month for the Dhoop, Deep naivedyam. Now, the Telangana government has increased it to Rs 6,000.

"We will give Rs 6,000 per month to another 3,000 temples in the State," the CM mentioned.

The announcement was made in the meeting with the archakas who came from all over the State at Pragati Bhavan here on Friday.

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