Archakas working in various temples in the district performed Chandi homam in front of the Kurnool Collectorate on Wednesday as part of their demonstration to highlight their plights including salary revision.
Major demands of the priests included disbursal of salaries through treasury, prompt release of money for the Dhoopa, Deepa and Naivedyam scheme, salary revision according to Pay Revision Commission recommendation to those working in the temples falling under 6B category in accordance with GO 261, promotion of eligible archakas, implementation of laws banning cow slaughter and sanction of gosalas in temples under Endowments Department, Shiv Sena district president T. Pratap Reddy and Nandyal constituency unit convenor P. Lakshminarayana Sarma said.
Priests living in poverty should be sanctioned pucca houses and archakas who have lost their land to road widening works must be fairly compensated, the protesters said and demanded that priests who own land be issued pattadar passbooks and granted bank loans.
Temple priests M. Krishnakanth Sarma, I. Venkataramana Sarma, T. Parameswara Sarma, T. Sambasivaiahand others sought a building for Endowments office and firm steps to remove encroachments from the temple lands.
