The Uttar Pradesh government has raised the salaries of priests at Ayodhya’s Ram temple just months before its completion and inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Champat Rai, the general secretary of the Shree Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, announced that the chief priest will now receive a fixed monthly salary of Rs 32,900, up from Rs 25,000.

Additionally, the dozen assistant priests will now earn Rs 31,900 per month, an increase from Rs 20,000, and the temple workers will see their salaries rise from Rs 15,000 to Rs 20,000.

“The decision was long overdue. With the temple nearing completion, there is widespread joy, prompting us to enhance the salaries of the temple staff,” said Rai. The Prime Minister is expected to inaugurate the newly constructed Ram temple on 14 January.

Acharya Satyendra Das, the chief priest of the temple, expressed appreciation for the gesture, stating, “We thank the trust and the government for their support. Although the temple is being constructed under the supervision of the central government's trust, we extend our gratitude to all involved, including the state government. The temple staff deserves an improved quality of life.”

According to Live Hindustan, this is the second increment in the past six months as the head priest Das received Rs 15,520 till April. Similarly, the salaries of other temple workers too doubled during this duration.

Last week, the Uttar Pradesh government also decided to align the salary and benefits of every priest at the Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi with that of an intermediate teacher in the state board’s schools.