Priests want hike in maintenance grant

Members of Karnataka State Muzrai Temple Priests and Employees’ Association have demanded the State government to hike the tastik (maintenance grant) to archaks (priests) of Muzrai temples falling under Grade ‘C’ category. 

Addressing a press meet on Friday, State President of Association, Srivatsa said: “Most of the 35,000 temples in the State come under Grade ‘C’ category.

While Grade ‘A’ temples get income of Rs 25 lakh and more annually, Grade ‘B’ temples earn between Rs five lakh and less than Rs 25 lakh and Grade ‘C’ temples get less than Rs five lakh income per year. Priests at Grade ‘C’ temples get Rs 36,000 every year as tastik which mainly goes for buying Puja items, he said.

He said that according to the recent order of the department, about 65 per cent of tastik grant-ed to Grade C temples should go to temple fund, while the rest 35 per cent should go to priests.

‘New move, a burden’
“This new move is really a burden to us. We want the State government to intervene and withdraw the order. If the order is implemented, then we will get a meagre tastik of Rs 12,600 per year,” said Joint Secretary of association, Ramatheer-than V.
According to the Union, the average expenditure of the temple, falling under Grade C,  is Rs 1.92 lakh every year. 

No salary
“None of priests get salary. All they get is maintenance grant and now that too has been eyed upon by Muzrai," added Srivatsa.