Andhra Pradesh to pay monthly honorarium to imams, muezzins

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, on Monday, directed officials to implement poll promises of monthly honorarium to imams and muezzins and Rs 1 lakh for every Haj pilgrims. 

While holding a review meeting on minorities' welfare at the State Secretariat here, Chandrababu Naidu directed officials that the promise made to Imams and muezzins for a monthly honorarium of Rs 10,000 and Rs 5,000 respectively should be implemented soon. Those who are going for Haj yatra will be paid Rs 1 lakh each as promised during the elections, Chandrababu Naidu said.

The Chief Minister also directed the officials to complete the survey of Waqf Board lands within a year.

He ordered the restructuring of all the welfare schemes for minorities.

The Chief Minister directed the officials to evolve a new formula for implementing the schemes after studying in detail the schemes that were implemented during the earlier TDP regime, the promises made to the minorities during the recent elections and in accordance with the existing schemes.

Accordingly, the schemes should be restructured, the Chief Minister said. He also made it clear to the officials that all the pending works under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram, for which Rs 447 crore has already been sanctioned, should be completed at a fast pace.

The shadikhanas and other structures that were taken up during the previous TDP regime should also be completed and the works that have not been taken up be cancelled, and relaunch them after a thorough review of the works, he said.

When the officials informed Chandrababu that the Haj House in Kadapa for which Rs 24 crore was sanctioned and was 80 per cent completed, the CM said that it should be completed at the earliest possible.

The officials also informed Chandrababu that the Christian Bhavan in Guntur for which Rs 16 crore was sanctioned by the earlier TDP Government is almost 50 per cent completed.