Temple priests from north Andhra on Wednesday took out a rally and staged a demonstration in front of the office of Deputy Commissioner, Endowments here, demanding a hike in their salaries.
Addressing the gathering, Visakhapatnam District Archaka Sangham president Rejeti Adiseshu and general secretary Ayiluri Srinivasa Deekshithulu lamented that even minimum wages were not paid to them. They wanted salaries on a par with temple managers and clerks for whom pay revision was being implemented to increase the salaries from Rs.15,000 to Rs.22,000.
“Even while starving, we waited patiently. But now we have decided to launch a movement to press for our demands, which include compassionate appointments, release of funds sanctioned for ‘deepam' and ‘naivedyam' in temples and stopping auction of temple lands,” Mr. Deekshitulu said.
The Sangham leaders later submitted a memorandum to Deputy Commissioner K. Vijayakumari and Assistant Commissioner of Endowments R. Pushpanatham.
Priests of Sri Neelakanteswara Aalayam in Vaddadi of Visakhapatnam district and the Venugopalaswami temple in Bobbili of the neighbouring Vizianagaram district were paid only Rs.100 every month.
The officials admitted that the priests' salaries warranted an upward revision, but sought time for correcting the anomaly.
Their representation was being forwarded to the Commissioner of Endowments for appropriate action, they assured the priests.
