Chennai: Amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, the Tamil Nadu government has announced a cash assistance of Rs 4,000 along with 10 kg rice and 15 varieties of dry ration to 14,000 temple priests and staff, who did not get their monthly salary, Minister of Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) department PK Sekar Babu said on Monday.
As per the official sources, as many as 34,000 temples under the control of the HR & CE department generated less than Rs 10,000 as their annual revenue. Priests in many of these temples and other workers do not receive a steady income.
In 12,959 temples, the priests and staff do not receive their monthly salary and rely on the offerings made by the devotees, the minister said. Due to the lockdown, they were left with no income.
Following demands from priests and workers, Chief Minister MK Stalin had ordered Rs 4,000 as cash assistance along with 10kg rice and 15 varieties of groceries.
The order is said to be implemented from June 3, the birth anniversary of former CM M Karunanidhi.
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