Amid a growing controversy over the Mahila Samman scheme that promised a monthly stipend for unemployed women, AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal unveiled a new initiative on Monday: the Pujari Granthi Samman Yojana. Hindu and Sikh priests in the city will be paid ₹18,000 per month in honorarium under this scheme, which is a first of its kind in the country, said Kejriwal. The scheme will be of immense benefit to the priests from Temples and the granthis from Gurdwaras, which identifies their role in perpetuating religious rituals and customs.
Delivering a press conference, Kejriwal, the former chief minister of Delhi, narrated how these religious leaders had been neglected for their welfare a long time ago. “From times immemorial, the priests and granthis remain devoted to religious services and have not paid any heed to their families. First time we are paying them a monthly honorarium, too,” he said. Kejriwal added that through this reform, it was time to acknowledge their true valuable worth to society.
The registration process for the Pujari Granthi Samman Yojana is to start on Tuesday, and Delhi’s CM, Arvind Kejriwal, is to inaugurate the registration drive at Hanuman Temple, Connaught Place. “Tomorrow I will be visiting the Hanuman Temple for the registration of this scheme,” he further said.
This comes barely weeks after Kejriwal launched the Mahila Samman scheme with the intention to pay ₹2,100 per month to unemployed ladies. “What scuffle arose when having this scheme for the promotion of this scheme? The Delhi government’s Women and Child Development (WCD) department differentiated it from an official scheme, giving rise to controversy. Measures of Opposition The AAP leaders cited major political interferences from the BJP as the cause of the problematical fiasco, while the BJP accused the AAP of fraud and mismanagement.”
Therefore, with the introduction of Pujari Granthi Samman Yojana, the Kejriwal government wants to target a new audience of religious leaders, which will be added to the existing plenty of welfare schemes under the AAP government.
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