Amaravati: Fulfilling the long-pending demand of the priests in the State of Andhra Pradesh, the government issued a G.O. No 439, upholding the hereditary rights of Mirasidars,Archakas and other office holders and servants of religious and endowments institutions. The GO was issued under the amended Andhra Pradesh Charitable and Hindu Religious Institutions and Endowments Right to Archakatvam (Qualifications and Emoluments) Rules, 2019.

Speaking to the media on Tuesday, Endowments Minister Vellampalli Srinivas, along with Deputy Speaker Kona Raghupathi and Vijayawada MLA Malladi Vishnu, said that the State government has decided to provide hereditary (Archakatvam) rights to temple priests and also stipulated the conditions of the service and payment of emoluments to such Archakas.

It was also decided to launch a scheme for hereditary Archakas to ensure their welfare in the future. He reminded the fact that the YSRCP chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy had fulfilled the promise to revive hereditary rights of temple priests during his election campaign.

The Minister said that CM YS Jagan has fulfilled the decades-long dream of the Brahmin priests by supporting the hereditary priesthood. Taking a dig at the TDP Chief he said that the people of Andhra Pradesh understood the difference between Chandrababu Naidu, who was indulging in vote bank politics in the name of caste and YS Jagan who was focused only on people's welfare.

The priests were happy with the implementation of G.O. No. 439 and that YS Jagan was the only leader who was concerned about the welfare of the priests, apart from his father late Dr YS Rajasekhara Reddy. By this decision taken by the Government, fear has been dispelled from the minds of the priests and their families and henceforth they would work for the service of God, he said.

It may be recollected that the hereditary rights of Mirasidars, Archakas and other office holders and servants of religious or endowments institutions were abolished more than two decades ago by the previous TDP regime.

Deputy Speaker Kona Raghupathi reminded the fact that during Dr YS Rajasekhaa Reddy's tenure as the CM, Act 33 was proposed for the hereditary rights of the priests. However, the TDP government ignored it and delayed its implementation. Now his son YS Jagan Mohan Reddy after taking charge as allocated Rs. 234 crores from the budget for the daily rituals ( Incense sticks , prasadam etc.) in the temple. Not just that the Government has allocated Rs100 crores for establishing a Brahmin Corporation, he said.

YSRCP MLA Malladi Vishnu, said that GO No 439 was a milestone in the State history and justice has finally been delivered for the Brahmin priests. Dr MV Soundararajan, the convener of Temples Protection Movement in Hyderabad, thanked the government for restoring the status of hereditary archakas system.

Also Read: YSRCP Will Implement GO No 76 For Brahmin Community