The Andhra Pradesh government, under the leadership of Chandrababu Naidu, has announced good news for temple priests. In line with their manifesto promises, the government has increased the salaries of priests to ₹15,000. Additionally, the amount allocated for daily rituals like Dhupa Deepa Naivedyam has been doubled from ₹5,000 to ₹10,000. The government is also planning to set a minimum salary of ₹25,000 for temple barbers working in Kalyanakatta. There are discussions on adding two more members to temple trust boards and committees are being set up to protect temple properties. The government is also focusing on spiritual tourism development by forming a committee with ministers from endowments, forestry, and tourism departments.
Furthermore, CM Chandrababu Naidu has directed that temples should radiate spirituality and ensure no scope for misdeeds. He stressed the importance of avoiding forced religious conversions and non-Hindu propaganda near temples, and emphasized respecting the sentiments of devotees and adhering to Agama Shastra norms. The CM also instructed to maintain cleanliness, ensure quality in prasadam, and create a peaceful environment in temples.
