The Andhra Pradesh government has mapped out a plan to ensure the construction of 1,400 temples across colonies housing ‘weaker sections’ and Dalit communities in 26 districts.
Deputy CM (endowments) Kottu Satyanarayana said that the temple construction is being done per the directions of the CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, TOI reported.
YS Jagan Mohan Reddy/ Image by BCCL
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Satyanarayana added that the endowments department would construct 1,060 temples. The remaining temples would be built by an RSS-affiliated NGO, Samarasatha Seva Foundation (SSF). The state plans to spend close to Rs 10 lakh to construct each temple.
“About Rs 8 lakh will be spent for the construction of the temple and Rs 2 lakh for making the idols,” Satyanarayan told TOI.
‘No middlemen will be involved’
The minister clarified that no middlemen will be involved in the construction of the temples, and no GST will be collected and added that the plan seeks support from locals and devotees.
“If the people come forward to offer donations, the government is ready to entrust the responsibility of temple construction to the villagers,” he told reporters on Tuesday.
Also, an assistant executive engineer (AEE) rank officer would be deputed to monitor the work personally.
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Under the plan, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) has extended support of Rs 10 lakh for each temple.
In the case of Venkateswara temple, the idol will be provided free of cost by TTD and idols of other gods and goddesses for 25 per cent subsidy.
Plan to meet demands of locals
However, Satyanarayana stated that the locals should stick to the temple design readied by the endowments department.
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Andhra minister also told TOI that the villagers’ committees could appoint priests from among the locals. He said the plan to construct temples was drafted to meet demands from the locals.
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