NEW DELHI: Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday announced a Rs 500 increase in the monthly honorarium for priests and muezzins in West Bengal, hours before the Election Commission is scheduled to announce the poll dates for assembly elections in four poll bound states and the Union Territory of Puducherry. She also announced the approval of all fresh applications by the AITC led state government.The announcement came ahead of the enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct, which comes into effect once the election schedule is declared and which will bar governments from making new policy announcements or financial commitments that could influence voters.In a post on X, Banerjee said the state government had decided to increase the monthly honorarium for priests (purohits) and muezzins by Rs 500.“I am pleased to announce an increase of Rs 500 in the monthly honorariums extended to our purohits and muezzins, whose service sustains the spiritual and social life of our communities. With this revision, they will now receive Rs 2,000 per month.At the same time, all fresh applications that have been duly submitted by purohits and muezzins have also been approved by the State Government”, the West Bengal CM wrote in a post on X.With the revision, the monthly payment for both groups will increase to Rs 2,000. The chief minister further added that all new applications submitted by priests and muezzins seeking the honorarium have been approved by the state government.Banerjee said the move reflects the government’s commitment to recognising the role played by religious functionaries in society.“We take pride in nurturing an environment where every community and every tradition is valued and strengthened,” she wrote, adding that the government’s endeavour is to ensure that those who safeguard the state’s spiritual traditions receive due recognition and support”, she wrote.The announcement came shortly before the poll panel, led by chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and comprising election commissioners Sukbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, is expected to announce the schedule for the assembly elections in Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Kerala, Assam and Puducherry at a press conference in New Delhi at 4 pm.
