Kashi Vishwanath temple staff to get state employee status, salaries tripled

Varanasi: In a landmark move, the Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple Trust has approved new service rules granting priests and employees the status of state government staff along with a major salary hike.

Under the revised framework, priests who were drawing about Rs 30,000 a month will now see their pay almost triple.

This is the first significant improvement in service conditions since 1983, when the state government took over the administration of the temple. Despite being one of the country’s most revered shrines, the service terms of its priests and staff had remained unchanged for more than four decades.

The new rules extend a host of benefits, putting temple workers on par with other categories of government employees in Uttar Pradesh. Officials described the decision as recognition of a long-standing demand for parity and dignity.

Temple administration in India varies from state to state. In most parts of the country, Hindu priests are not treated as government employees. Telangana is an exception, where staff at notified temples under the endowments department receive government pay scales.

In Tamil Nadu and several other states, priests are paid from temple income, and petitions seeking government employee status are still pending in courts.

The Uttar Pradesh government’s move for Kashi Vishwanath staff is being seen as a significant departure from the national trend.

The decisions were taken at the 108th meeting of the Trust, held at the Commissioner’s office on Thursday evening.