The Kerala Brahmana Sabha (KBS) has offered financial aid worth ₹25 lakh to priests, their assistants, and Vedic scholars who have been rendered jobless following the closure of temples after the announcement of the lockdown.
KBS president and Kerala State Welfare Corporation for Forward Communities director Karimpuzha Raman inaugurated the distribution of ex-gratia payment at a function held at Old Kalpathy near here on Thursday. “We are giving ₹2,000 in the first phase to 1,000-odd priests who have applied from across the State,” said Mr. Raman.
KBS State general secretary N.V. Shivaramakrishnan, treasurer K.V. Vasudevan, vice president Sundara Raman, joint secretary Santhana Gopalakrishnan, north zone secretary M.R. Krishnan, and Old Kalpathy Gramajana Samooham trustee Mahesh attended the function. KBS officials said the aid would be transferred to the accounts of the priests within a few days. “A large number of priests, assistants, and Vedic scholars have at present no means but to bank on such financial assistance. It is time we cared for them,” they said.