AP govt. decides to exempt fee for the temples with revenue less that Rs. 5 lakh

The government of Andhra Pradesh has responded positively to the issue of handing over small temples to priests to avoid additional burdens on low-income temples. It is said that the temples with an income of less than Rs 5 lakh and other Hindu religious institutions are exempted from fees legally payable to the Endowments Department. Endowment Department Commissioner Harijawaharlal directed the District Revenue Officers, Deputy Commissioners and Regional Joint Commissioners in this regard. While official orders were to come, the commissioner ordered that no fees be collected from temples in advance.

According to the Endowments Department Act, temples earning more than Rs 2 lakh in the state have to pay a certain amount to the government every year. Each temple is required to pay nine per cent of its net income to the Common Good Fund (CGF) aother eight per cent to the Endowments Department management fund and the remaining 1.5 per cent to be paid as audit fee. This provision has been in force until recently. The High Court recently directed the state government to exempt temples earning less than Rs. five lakh from these fees. The government has responded positively to the High Court's suggestion.

District officials said there are more than 7,000 temples with an income of less than Rs 5 lakh. About 3,000 of those temples are already in the hands of priests or hereditary trustees. In addition, the Confederation of Priests says that the decision by the Endowment Department to exempt temples with an income of less than Rs 5 lakh from the fees legally payable will provide financial relief to the salaries of the priests working in those temples. The Secretary-General of the Priests Union thanked the Government.