HYDERABAD: Temples Protection Movement convenor and the hereditary archaka of Chilkur Balaji temple, CS Rangarajan, welcomed the Telangana government’s recent initiatives for the welfare of archakas and temple employees in rural areas.
He said archakas and temple staff across the state have responded positively to the setting up of the Archaka Welfare Fund Trust, a move that had been delayed since the state’s bifurcation in 2014.
Even the Archaka and Temple Employees Welfare Trust established in undivided Andhra Pradesh in 1997, following a Supreme Court judgment, was never fully implemented, he noted, adding that several demands had remained unfulfilled for over 17 years.
Rangarajan appreciated Endowments Minister Konda Surekha for fulfilling a long-standing aspiration of temple priests and employees by launching a dedicated welfare trust on June 9. The trust will benefit around 13,700 priests and staff up to the assistant commissioner level under the Endowments department.
The fund will offer retirement and posthumous gratuity to archakas, including those under the Dhoopa Deepa Naivedyam scheme. It will also cover medical reimbursements, marriage support, Upanayana Sanskaram, housing needs, education and aid for employees with disabilities unable to perform their duties.
For 90-year-old Dr MV Soundara Rajan, who has fought for the revival of the temple system in courts and the legislature, this initiative marks a long-awaited step in the right direction, Rangarajan said in a statement on Wednesday.