Government shocking notice for priests in Karnataka

RSD –Bangalore news: Government has given a shock to the temple priests in Karnataka. The government has issued notices to all the priests who perform pujas in the temple in the state to return the salary taken for 10 years. Notices have been issued to many people including Kannada scholar and prominent priest Hiremagaluru Kannan. Chikmagalur district administration has issued pay freeze notice. Income has decreased in the temples where these priests are worshiping. But priests were paid more by the government. So the Siddaramaiah government demanded to return the salary taken for the last 10 years to the government.

The Siddaramaiah government especially shocked Hiremagalur Kannan, a priest who worships Lord Rama in Kannada. Kannan’s salary was stopped by the government last year itself. Now it has sent a demand note to return the salary taken till now to the government. Government used to pay Rs.4500 per month to the priest Hiremagalur Kannan and it has become Rs.4,74,000 for 10 years. The district administration has issued a notice to return this amount given to the scholar and priest Hiremagalur Kannan to government.

Renowned as a Kannada scholar and Kannada priest, Hiremagaluru Kannan has been serving as the head priest of the Kalyana Kodanda Ram Mandir on the outskirts of Chikkamagaluru for the past 50 years. Rs.7500/- per month was been paid by the state government till 10 years ago. But at present the income of the temple is low and for the last ten years Rs. 4500/- was paid as salary. Kannan was asked by the government to pay back the salary paid for the last ten years as the income of the temple has dropped significantly.