YSRCP promises to restore the glory of temples

YSR Congress Party on Saturday agreed to incorporate in its election manifesto an assurance that it would implement the changes made to the AP Endowments Act, 1987 after coming to power.

The assurance was given by party senior leader M.V.Mysura Reddy to a delegation of the Archakas led by the AP Archaka Samakhya president and chief priest of Chilukuru Balaji temple Soundar Rajan.

Mysura Reddy told reporters that the party has agreed to incorporate the implementation of the changes made to the AP Endowments Act during the YSR regime. “We will make the assurance part of our manifesto and the party will also take necessary steps to implement the changes that would restore the glory of all temples in the state and better the lives of temple priests,” Mysura said.

The issue will be taken up with our party president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy and necessary action will be taken up in this regard, Mysura added.

Soundar Rajan: YSR amended the Act

Dr. Soundar Ragan, who led the delegation to the YSRCP election manifesto committee, told reporters that they had requested the YSRCP leaders to assure in the manifesto that the party would implement the changes made to the 1987 Act by YSR to better the lives of Archakas and restore the glory of all 34,000 temples.

“On our repeated appeals, YSR conducted an all-party meeting on the temples’ issue and amended the AP Endowments Act, 1987 in 2007 but unfortunately the Act was never implemented after his death.

The changes were aimed at bringing all the temples under Dharmika Parishad for improving the economic conditions of the temples and bettering the lives of Archakas. After the death of YSR, the government never bothered even to constitute the Dharmika Parishad,” Dr. Soundar Rajan remarked.

It was YSR who convened an all-party meeting for the first time in the country on the issue of temples and Archakas, he said, adding, “It is our bad luck he died, but we are hopeful that YSRCP will implement the changes when it comes to power.”