KCR assures priests of plan to pay salaries

Telangana’s chief minister, K. Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR), yesterday said the state government will soon give regular salaries to temple priests, imams and muezzins in mosques.

He made the announcement while intervening in the Question Hour on the first day of the winter session of Telangana state assembly.

Earlier, All India Majlis-eIttehadul Muslimeen (MiM) floor leader Akbaruddin Owaisi raised the issue of salaries for pundits, or temple priests, and demanded that all the priests be brought under the scheme.

KCR said the state government had made a beginning by paying regular salaries to priests through the Treasury. “This is [a] first-of-its-kind scheme in any state in the country”, he said. KCR also assured the House that the government will consider introducing regular salaries to the imams and muezzins of all the mosques in the state. He said that the government will ensure justice to all sections of society.