Govt to hike pay of Muzrai temple priests

The Karnataka government has decided to increase the salaries of priests working in temples under the Muzrai department.

A committee has been set up to formulate salary guidelines.

This was announced by Kota Srinivas Poojary, the Minister for Muzrai, Ports and Water Transport, at a press conference in the city on Tuesday. Priests in 34,000 temples under the State Muzrai department are currently being paid a salary of Rs 2,000 to Rs 4,000 a month.
The committee, headed by the minister, includes the commissioner of the Muzrai department and a retired district judge. The government will take steps to hike the salaries after the committee submits its report in the next 15 days.

The minister added that he planned to open homes for the aged and the destitute on the grounds of temples. While the Ganagapura temple will have a home for mentally challenged children, the Kukke Subramanya and Kollur Mookambika temples will have homes for orphaned children. The homes will be managed with revenue from the department and the respective temples. “Rehabilitation centres for stray cows would be opened in 25 of the State’s temples,” he said.