Decision On Archakas' Pay Soon: Indrakaran Reddy

Telangana Endowments Minister A Indrakaran Reddy said that the talks held on Friday with the temple archakas (priests) and employees were successful resulting on their strike being called off, and that the government would resolve their issues.

The minister had called on Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao at the latter's camp office and apprised him of the demands of the archakas and temple staff - who had gone on strike demanding salaries from the government exchequer and equivalent to those of Telangana government employees.

Speaking to the media later at the Secretariat, Indrakaran said that a committee would be constituted to look into the issue, and that the committee would submit a report within a month. Based on the committee's recommendations, the government would take an amicable decision within another month, he said.

He added that the Chief Minister had agreed to increase the archakas' honorarium to Rs 6,000 from Rs 2,500 per month for regular pujas and other rituals at temples, in addition to offering them an increment from July 1.

The TRS government, he said, was committed to setting up a Dharmika Parishad and an Archaka Welfare Fund.

Works related to the Godavari Pushkaralu would be completed by July 1, he informed. (NSS)