Temples' Archakas and other staff members have been agitating and gearing up to organise a 'Chalo Hyderabad' seeking a reddressal of their grievances.
Even as the temples' Archakas and other staff members have been agitating and gearing up to organise a 'Chalo Hyderabad' seeking a reddressal of their grievances, the State government on Thursday appealed to them to observe restraint as the Committee's report in this regard is awaited.
Speaking to media persons at the Secretariat on Thursday, Minister for Endowments Gade Venkata Reddy made it clear that there were no funds to meet any of their demands.
When asked what the solution is, then, the Minister shot back, saying "You suggest what to do".
He explained in detail that a Committee headed by Justice Venkatrami Reddy has been set up to go through the demands of temple employees.
"The Committee report is awaited, and it takes 2 months," Venkat Reddy said.
The minister said that there was a fund crunch, and that the only source of income was from temple devotees' offerings. Archakas and temple staff have been demanding wages as per PRC, while seniors demand pensions as well, the minister said.
Contract employees are demanding regularisation of services, while another section demands jobs on compassionate grounds.
"Not one paisa comes from the government," the minister lamented.
The minister's statement comes in view of a strike by temple non-government employees and priests of Vijayawada Kanakadurga Temple, Srisailam, Simhachalam, Annavaram, Yadagirigutta, Dwaraka Tirumala, Basara, Vemilawada and Badrachalam, protesting that the government fulfill their demands.
The government had set up the Committee, vide GOMs No. 1303, Revenue (Endt.I) Department, dated 20 October 2010, with retired Justice Venkatarami Reddy as the Chairman and former IAS officer M V S Prasad as its member. A Chengappa and Prof. Soundararajan are the special invitees.
The Committee is expected to submit its report after 2 months. It was asked to examine the feasibility of the extension of PRC scales to employees working in temples.
Meanwhile, Venkata Reddy asked Archakas not to inconvenience devotees and to continue to conduct rituals - including Dhoopa, Deepa and Naivedyam - as usual. He also asked them not to politicise the issue and to observe restraint.
The TTD spends Rs. 1,200 crore for philanthropic purposes annually.
Courtesy: INN