Kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday announced a hike of Rs 500 in the monthly allowance of Muslims as well as Hindu priests.
Banerjee batted for harmony among religions and reiterated her commitment to dislodge the BJP from power at the Centre.
“The state is running through a financial crunch and the Centre has been depriving us of our due funds in connection with several schemes. However, the social welfare schemes like Kanyashree, Khadyasathi, Yuvashree and scholarships for students to name a few are being run through state funds. But still, we have tried our best to increase the monthly allowances,” Banerjee said addressing a conference of imams and muezzins at Netaji Indoor Stadium on Monday.
Currently, imams (Muslim clerics) receive a monthly remuneration of Rs 2,500 whereas muezzins (people who call others for Namaz) receive an amount of Rs 1,000 as monthly remuneration. From now on after the Rs 500 increase announced by Banerjee, the imams will receive Rs 3,000 per month while muezzins will get Rs 1,500 per month.
The allowance of Hindu priests will also be increased by Rs 500 per month, said Banerjee.
According to sources, some 30,000 odd imams and 20,000 muezzins receive such allowance from the state. The money is distributed through the Wakf Board.
She alleged that money is being spent to spur hatred among communities. “Money is being spent to spur hatred among communities in the country... The BJP is funding some minority leaders to instigate communal tension ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. I am against any form of animosity based on religion,” she said.
Banerjee appealed to the clerics to be vigilant against any attempts of misleading the community by the saffron party to create anarchy in the state.
“Minority brothers tend to get agitated quickly. Be careful as they want you to be agitated so that they can brand you as a terrorist and assign NIA. I appeal to all clerics to see that such attempts to create anarchy in the state are thwarted,” she added.
Banerjee asserted that the BJP is trying to use the Congress and CPI(M) against the TMC in Bengal.
“The CPI(M) and the Congress have joined hands with the BJP in the state. I am with the INDIA bloc at the national level. The tenure of the Modi government will be another six months and we will do whatever is needed to remove him,” she added.