NE NEWS SERVICE
CHENNAI, SEP 11
No scheme would stop with mere announcement and each and every plan would be given priority by him and implemented, Chief Minister M K Stalin said here on Saturday launching the Rs 1,000 monthly incentive programme for temple priests.
அர்ச்சகர்கள், பட்டாச்சாரியார்களுக்கு மாதம் ரூ.1000 வழங்கும் திட்டம் அறிவிக்கப்பட்டு, கூட்டத்தொடர் நிறைவடையும் முன்பே செயல்பாட்டுக்கு வந்துள்ளது.
அறிவிப்புகள் ஒவ்வொன்றையும் கண்காணித்து செயல்பாட்டுக்குக் கொண்டுவருவேன்.
ஏழையின் சிரிப்பில் இறைவனைக் காண்போம்! pic.twitter.com/VjXvzXJFjd
— M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) September 11, 2021
Review meetings shall be held periodically and he would monitor ministers and officials vis-a-vis implementation of schemes that have been announced, he said.
Lauding Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Minister P K Sekar Babu for launch of the incentive scheme in a week following its announcement in the Assembly, Stalin said Babu made an unprecedented 120 announcements on fresh initiatives in the Assembly, which was a big achievement.
A slew of initiatives are going to be implemented, including new temple cars and setting up of colleges under the auspices of the HR and CE department and housing for priests and other temple personnel, he said.
The “golden times” of the HR and CE department would dawn in a few months and “we are going to see it” with the implementation of all the initiatives that have been announced, he said.
Among such initiatives is the monthly incentive of Rs 1,000 for priests serving in 12,959 temples covered under a scheme (Oru Kala Poojai Thittam) that ensures pooja for a single time in a day, entailing an additional outgo of Rs 13 crore every year.
“I don’t like to mention this is as an expenditure,” he said, adding that about 13,000 families would stand to benefit through this scheme.
For the temples under the one-time pooja a day scheme, the fixed deposit has been increased to Rs two lakh, ensuring worship in such temples and safeguarding the livelihood of priests in such temples, he said.
The Chief Minister handed over the cash incentive to 25 priests (archakas, bhattacharyas, poojaris) here, marking the launch of the incentive scheme.
Stalin said the government has announced a whole lot of schemes and following the conclusion of the Assembly session on September 13, all the announcements made in the House would be implemented one by one and in a phased manner.
“No scheme would stop with mere announcement,” he said adding meetings to review the initiatives shall be held periodically and he would himself monitor ministers and officials in respect of the schemes announced.
“I am going to give priority to each and every scheme,” he said, adding he would take all efforts to implement them all. “I assure you that all announcements (on schemes) will be implemented.”
HR and CE Minister Sekar Babu, Public Works Minister E V Velu, Health Minister Ma Subramanian and spiritual leaders participated.