The State government will give a monthly honorarium of Rs. 3,100 and Rs. 2,500 to Pesh Imams and Mouzins, respectively, with immediate effect. The first instalment will be paid on July 28.
Minister for Municipal Administration and Waqf Qamarul Islam told presspersons here on Sunday that Karnataka was the first State to pay honorarium to Pesh Imams and Mouzins, who otherwise depended on whatever was paid to them by the mosque committees.
He said that the Supreme Court had passed an order in 1992 asking all State governments to fix a monthly wage for Pesh Imams and Mouzins.
The Muslim Personnel Law Board had, however, had opposed payment of wages stating that they were considered ‘servants of god’. As a way out, the State government decided to pay honorarium, which was acceptable to the law board, he said.
Mr. Qamarul said that Tamil Nadu and West Bengal had made abortive moves to pay pension to Pesh Imams and Mouzins and these efforts have been stayed in different courts.
“We consulted 40 Ulemas, religious heads, advocates and seniors in the community before finalising the payment of honorarium,” he said.
The Minister said that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has allocated Rs. 47.8 crore in the budget for the honorarium, which will be paid once in three months. Those having an income of less than Rs. 1 lakh an annum were eligible to get the honorarium.
Mr. Islam said that as per the first list of beneficiaries, 1,489 Pesh Imams and Mouzins would benefit from this. Bidar district has the largest number of 468 beneficiaries, followed by Gulbarga with 294 beneficiaries.
