PNS|Vijayawada
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday approved the recruitment of 137 vacant posts in the Endowments Department to strengthen temple administration in Andhra Pradesh. The decision was taken during a review meeting held at the State Secretariat.
The recruitment will cover six deputy commissioners, five assistant commissioners, six Grade-1 executive officers, 104 Grade-3 executive officers, and 16 junior assistants. The Chief Minister instructed officials to expedite the recruitment through direct selection to ensure efficient management of temples. He also emphasised the need to fill vacancies among Videki staff with eligible candidates, calling for timely and quality recruitment to improve departmental performance.
A key highlight of the meeting was the proposed expansion of the Anna Danam scheme, currently active in only seven temples—Srisailam, Sri Kalahasti, Kanipakam, Bezawada Durgamma, Annavaram, Dwaraka Tirumala, and Simhachalam. The Chief Minister directed that the scheme be implemented in all temples across the State.
He stressed maintaining high standards in the preparation and distribution of Anna Prasadam, with a focus on taste, cleanliness, and quality.
Voluntary services should be utilised for cooking, with regular quality checks in place. He suggested that major temples support smaller ones financially, citing Vengamamba temple in Tirumala as a model for excellence.
Naidu also ordered the formulation of master plans for 23 temples in the first phase, in line with Agama Sastras. He said these temples should promote temple tourism and called for the formation of a dedicated committee to protect temple lands and assets. While temple lands could be leased to commercial establishments, he insisted they be vegetarian-only, respecting religious sentiments. Revenue generated must be reinvested in temple development.
The Chief Minister further proposed establishing a Balaji Temple Building Fund to construct one Balaji temple in each Assembly constituency. He recommended the formation of local committees to ensure regular Dhupa-Deepa-Nivedyams after construction.
Raising concern over temple safety, Naidu ordered strict action against attacks on temples and directed that CCTV cameras be installed at all 24,538 temples under Category 6C. Presently, such surveillance exists only in temples with annual revenue exceeding Rs 50,000.
On developing Srisailam into a premier pilgrimage centre on par with Tirumala, Naidu highlighted its unique status of housing both a Jyotirlinga and a Shakti Peetha. He suggested judicious use of temple lands and construction of guest houses with government funds.
Officials informed the Chief Minister that around 19,000 saplings have been planted near Category 6A temples, with plans for wider greenery efforts in collaboration with the Forest Department.
The State’s over 24,000 notified temples generate about Rs 1,300 crore annually, of which Rs 850 crore comes from the top seven temples. About 9% of income from temples earning above Rs 5 lakh goes to the Common Good Fund (CGF), which has received Rs 159 crore in 2024–25.
