Endowments Minister slams false campaigns on temples

Metro India News | AMARAVATI

Andhra Pradesh Endowments Minister Anam Ramanarayana Reddy has strongly criticised what he described as politically motivated campaigns targeting Hindu temples, urging political parties not to exploit religious faith for electoral gains. Addressing the media at the Secretariat on Wednesday, the minister said spreading misinformation about temples and religious institutions undermines the faith of millions of devotees and will not be tolerated by the government.

He said the coalition government remains fully committed to protecting Hindu dharma, modernising temple administration, improving pilgrim amenities and ensuring transparent governance. The minister appealed to the public not to be misled by distorted narratives based on incomplete statistics and unverified claims.

“Temples are symbols of faith for crores of devotees, not political battlegrounds,” he said, adding that criticism should be based on verified facts rather than selective data.

Highlighting the government’s initiatives, Anam Ramanarayana Reddy said major reforms are underway, including restoration of historic temples, expansion of digital services, infrastructure upgrades, improved transparency in hundi counting, and wider implementation of Annaprasadam schemes.

Presenting official figures, the minister said the combined revenue of 22 major temples in Andhra Pradesh increased from Rs 1,379.19 crore in 2023-24 to Rs 1,503.90 crore in 2025-26, while pilgrim footfall rose from 634.68 lakh to 805.04 lakh, representing nearly 27 percent growth. He said major temples such as Srisailam, Vijayawada Kanaka Durga Temple, Annavaram and Vadapalli had all recorded significant increases in both revenue and the number of devotees.

He noted that 111 temples currently provide Annaprasadam to nearly 80,000 devotees every day, benefiting around three crore pilgrims annually, with the government spending Rs 84 crore each year on the programme. The facility will soon be extended to another 59 temples.

The minister also highlighted ongoing infrastructure development, stating that while the previous government completed only 372 of the 919 sanctioned temple works, the present government has already completed 282 pending works, with 236 more under progress. In addition, approvals worth Rs 789.92 crore have been granted for the development of 659 temples, while 276 temples are being upgraded ahead of the 2027 Godavari Pushkaralu.

He further announced that, with support from the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), the government has launched an ambitious Rs 750-crore programme to establish a temple or bhajan mandir in every village across the state.