For the first time in the State, priests and other employees of temples under the control of the endowments department were on Friday paid salaries according to prescribed scales.
Endowments Minister A. Indrakaran Reddy handed over a cheque for ₹37.50 crore towards the first instalment of the salary bill to Andhra Bank at a function at endowmenets office at Boggulkunta.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Reddy said a new era in the history of temples in the State opened with this. Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao’s assurance to priests and employees that the government would pay them salaries on par with other staff had taken shape. The pay scales were extended to them without a slip-up anywhere.
He said the salary bill for priests and employees was expected to touch ₹115 crore per year.
The government would release funds for the purpose, factoring in the revenue generated from temples.
The function was attended by Finance Secretary N. Shiva Shankar, Advisor to government (Culture) K.V. Ramanachary and representatives of priests’ associations.
