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BENGALURU: Upset with the meagre monthly emolument of around Rs 1,400, archakas working in temples maintained by the muzrai department will hold a protest in the city on Thursday.

According to Janakiram, president of Karnataka State Religious Endowment Temple s Archakas and Agamikas Association, around 2,000 archaks will take part. The prot est has been called to urge the state government to fix the wages at the rate of Rs 249 per day, the minimum daily wage fixed by the Centre, and grant Rs 2 lakh compensation to family members of deceased archaks from the General Reserve Fund.

"At present, we are being given Rs 4,000 per month for doing pujas and rituals. Out of this, archakas will get only Rs 1,400, which is below Rs 50 per day," he said. He alleged the government has given Rs 410 crore to the Muslim community and Rs 200 crore to Christians, but has not given funds to Hindu temples, except for the Rs 60 crore provided to religious mutts.

