VIJAYAWADA: The State government is committed to protecting the temple lands and if necessary, the Endowments Department is ready to knock the doors of the Supreme Court regarding alienated lands, asserted Deputy Chief Minister (Endowments) Kottu Satyanarayana.
At a review meeting with officials at the Endowments Commissioner’s office at Gollapudi on Tuesday, he discussed issues such as increasing the honorarium of priests, maintenance of the college established by the Kandukuri Veeresalingam Hitakarini Samajam in Rajamahendravaram, Dhoopa Deepa Naivedyam Scheme, court cases on temple lands, arrangements for Dasara, dress code for temple staff, etc.
Speaking to mediapersons after the review meeting, he said several endowments lands are in court dispute. The court verdict came in favour of private individuals in some of the cases. “We have asked the Advocate General to form a standing council with nine people. In connection with these cases, the Endowments Assistant Commissioner attended the court to monitor the performance of the standing council and submit reports,” he said.
Satyanarayana said an exercise to increase the honorarium of temple priests is going on. It is Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s desire to effectively implement the Dhoopa Deepa Naivedyam Scheme in all temples.
During the previous TDP regime, Dhoopa Deepa Naivedyam Scheme had covered 1,600 temples. After the YSRC came to power, the scheme was extended to more than 2,000 temples. So far, 2,699 applications have been received under the scheme. Funds will be allotted to the temples as per the guidelines after processing the applications, he said. Steps are being taken to implement a dress code for employees working in the temples, he added.