The Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department has started releasing a monthly incentive of ₹1,000 each to priests of temples funded under the one-time puja scheme.
Funds for 9,860 priests who have shared their details with the Department have been sent to their bank accounts. The amount being provided to the priests is being sent from the Commissioner’s Common Good Fund.
“Even if one priest stops coming in and is replaced by another, the one who is doing the service will get the payment,” said J. Kumaragurubaran, Commissioner, HR & CE Department.
Though there are around 12,600 temples covered under the scheme, only 9,860 priests have sent in their details so far.
“I have put up the list of temples and priests on the website and have circulated it among various groups so that people who have been left out can approach us. They can call the helpline for this. In cases where a priest does puja at several temples, we are paying for one temple only. We have instructed ACs to appoint priests wherever necessary, so that temples don’t go without puja,” Mr. Kumaragurubaran said.
A priest at the Kasi Viswanathaswami temple and Venugopalaswami temple near Poonamallee said he was very happy to have received the payment under the
