PNS|Hyderabad
Fulfilling a long-pending demand, the Minister for Endowments, Konda Surekha, on Monday announced a series of major welfare measures for Hindu temple priests and employees working in Hindu temples across Telangana.
The key highlight is the doubling of the gratuity amount from Rs 4 lakh to Rs 8 lakh, along with the launch of a comprehensive Archaka and Temple Employees Welfare Fund.
She unveiled the welfare fund poster along with Endowments Principal Secretary Shailaja Ramaiyer and Director Venkata Rao. She said the new fund will benefit over 13,700 priests and staff working in temples under the department’s jurisdiction up to the level of Assistant Commissioner. Surekha said the fund will provide gratuity for retirement and posthumous benefits for priests, including Dhupa Deepa Naivedyam (DDN) archakas. The fund will also be used for ex-gratia payments, final rites expenses, medical reimbursements, marriage assistance, thread ceremony (upanayanam), housing support, education assistance and financial aid for differently-abled employees.
She said that gratuity has been enhanced from Rs 4 lakh to Rs 8 lakh with effect from May 28, 2025, and will be deposited directly in the employee’s bank account in a single instalment, subject to their tenure of service. The final rites assistance has also been raised from Rs 20,000 to Rs 30,000.
