Plea to protect hereditary rights of temple priests

Kadapa: Temples Protection Movement (TPM) Coordinator CS Rangarajan has made an appeal to the state government to implement GO No 76 meant for protecting hereditary rights of priests working in small temples across the state.

Speaking to the media here on Tuesday, Rangarajan blamed the officials of the Endowments department for not implementing the GO despite it was issued by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu in February 2017.

He came down heavily on Endowment officials for lacking commitment to uplift living standards of Archaka community. The TPM Coordinator alleged that the Endowment officials are hatching a conspiracy to abolish hereditary rights of priests in all small temples.

Rangarajan, head priest at the Chilkur Balaji temple near Hyderabad, has expressed anguish over priests living in pathetic conditions in Telugu states.