Nigama-Agama Parishad will be established which will function as apex body for agama schools
Proposed Dharmika Parishad will make policy decisions on temples in the State
HYDERABAD: An institute of temple management will be set up here to train Endowment Department employees for proper management of temples in the State.
In line with the amendments made to the Endowments Act recently, a Nigama-Agama Parishad will also be established in the city to function as apex body for the existing and future “Agama schools” that offer archaka courses. This apart, a Dharmika Parishad would come up to make policy decisions on temples.
Endowments Minister J. Ratnakar Rao told reporters here on Thursday that in addition to the existing 10 Agama schools in the State, eight more would be opened shortly at Basar, Dharmapuri, Vaikuntapuram, Nalgonda (Venugopala Swamy temple), Kasapur, Kanipakam, Arsavalli and Anakapalle, each attached to a famous temple, with about 20 students each.
Students, on successful completion of the six-year course, would be given Rs 1 lakh in cash each, and appointment orders as archakas.
Policy decision
I.V. Subba Rao, Principal Secretary, Revenue (Endowments), and P. Sundar Kumar, Commissioner, Endowments, who were present, said a policy decision had been taken to ensure free darshan in all the temples, and make coconut and prasadams like laddu, pulihora, for an uniform price of Rs 5 each. A four per cent commission would be allowed to “ksharakarmas” for tonsuring.
Executive officers
Mr. Ratnakar Rao said efforts were on to appoint executive officers to all the 34,000-odd temples in the State, small and big. Already, the Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission had been sounded on this.
He put the total income from temples in the State at Rs 300 crore annually.
