Weeks after promising to free Hindu temples from government control, the Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led Madhya Pradesh government on Tuesday took the first big step towards that direction after it allowed priests to sustain their livelihood through the income from temple agricultural land. This would also mean that the priests would not be dependent on the meagre salaries that were being given by the government and would be able to sustain themselves better.
Ashish Agrawal, the media in charge of the BJP state unit, revealed that the Cabinet of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has decided that priests can now utilize the income generated from up to 10 acres of agricultural land associated with managed temples. Similarly, if the land exceeds 10 acres, the priests will retain the income from the first 10 acres and the remaining land will be auctioned for farming, with the proceeds deposited into the temple’s account.
The Cabinet has also taken a decision to initiate a campaign to free temple lands from encroachment.
Last year, the Religious Trusts and Endowments Department of the Madhya Pradesh government issued orders to increase the honorarium for priests. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced that temples and priests without agricultural land would receive a monthly honorarium of Rs. 5,000.
Similarly, temples with 5 acres of agricultural land would provide priests with a monthly honorarium of Rs. 2,500. However, priests serving temples with more than 10 acres of agricultural land would not receive any separate salary.
Shivraj Singh Chouhan announces liberating Hindu temples from govt control
In April 2023, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had announced that the state government will not control any activities of temples.
During a Parshuram Jayanti event in Bhopal, the chief minister stated, “We have decided that the government will relinquish control over temple activities, and the auction of temple land will be conducted by priests instead of collectors.”
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has long advocated for the liberation of Hindu temples from government control. The RSS has consistently emphasized that Hindu temples are subject to government oversight and expressed concerns that funds generated by these temples are being utilized for the upkeep of churches and mosques.