VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has given his nod for a massive recruitment drive to fill 137 vacant posts in the Endowments Department, including six Deputy Commissioners, five Assistant Commissioners, six Grade-1 Executive Officers, 104 Grade-3 Executive Officers, and 16 Junior Assistants.
Additionally, around 200 vacant priest posts will be filled with qualified candidates to ensure efficient temple management across Andhra Pradesh.
In a review meeting at the Secretariat on Tuesday, Naidu directed officials to extend the Annadanam (free food) scheme to all 23 major temples in the State. Currently, only seven temples, including Srisailam, Srikalahasti, and Kanipakam, offer daily free meals.
The Chief Minister emphasized that the food must be tasty, hygienic, and of high quality, matching the standards of Tirumala’s Vengamamba Annaprasadam.
Naidu also outlined a phased development plan for temples, starting with a master plan for 23 major temples based on Agama Shastra. He stressed promoting temple tourism and protecting temple lands from encroachments.
A committee will formulate a policy for leasing temple lands to commercial entities, ensuring only vegetarian food is served on such properties to respect devotees’ sentiments.
To enhance security, CCTV cameras will be installed in all 24,538 notified temples under the 6C category, expanding temples with over Rs 50,000 income. Naidu announced the creation of a “Balaji Temple Construction Fund” to build one new temple per Assembly constituency, with temple committees ensuring daily rituals.
Special attention will be given to Srisailam, a key spiritual site housing a Jyotirlinga and a Shakti Peetha, with plans to elevate it to the stature of Tirumala Tirupati.
The Chief Minister called for careful use of Srisailam’s limited temple lands and government-led construction of accommodation facilities.
Efforts to increase greenery include planting 19,000 saplings in 6A category temples, with plans to expand this initiative. Centralised sanitation tenders will ensure cleanliness, while online services like darshan and e-hundi are now available in 175 temples. WhatsApp Governance services have been introduced in 22 high-income temples, he explained.
The State’s temples generate over Rs 1,300 crore annually, with Rs 850 crore from the top seven temples. The Common Good Fund amounted to Rs 149 crore in 2024-25, supporting 48 temple projects worth Rs 111 crore. Of the 25,028 notified temples, 169 earn over Rs 50 lakh, 321 between Rs 15 lakh and Rs 50 lakh, and 24,538 less than Rs 15 lakh.