SRIKAKULAM: Outsourcing staff at the historic Sun God temple in Arasavalli, Srikakulam, staged a protest on Saturday, demanding the release of pending salaries withheld for the past 14 months. The agitation brought temple operations to a standstill, affecting sanitation, prasadam preparation, ticket sales, and information services.
A total of 48 employees, including several women, were recruited on a temporary and outsourcing basis, with monthly wages ranging between Rs 7,000 and Rs 13,000. Temple authorities stated that the appointments were made without adherence to recruitment norms, reservation policies, or financial vetting—based instead on recommendation letters from former Srikakulam MLAs Gunda Laxmidevi (TDP) and Dharmana Prasada Rao (YSRCP), both former ministers.
The issue came to light during the 2024 Ratha Saptami festival, when then Executive Officer A Ramesh terminated some staff.
However, following political pressure, he was abruptly transferred and funding for salaries was halted. Despite multiple appeals, including to current TDP MLA Gondu Sankar, no resolution was reached, prompting the employees to launch an agitation and boycott duties.