The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain a plea seeking a judicial commission to review wages and benefits for priests, sevadars, and temple staff in state-controlled temples. A Bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta held that the petition cannot be entertained under Article 32, directing aggrieved persons to approach the Court directly.
The Court advised advocate Ashwini Upadhyay not to interfere in priests’ affairs, noting he may be unaware of their actual earnings. The bench allowed Upadhyay to withdraw the petition with liberty to avail remedies available under law.
The plea, filed through advocate Ashwani Dubey, sought directions to constitute a judicial commission or expert committee to review remuneration for priests and temple staff in state-controlled temples. It argued that priests qualify as employees under Section 2(k) of the Code on Wages, 2019, and that states assuming administrative control creates an employer-employee relationship.
Advocate Upadhyay claimed that the cause of action arose on April 4, when he learned at Kashi Vishwanath Temple that priests and staff do not receive minimum wages for a dignified living. He cited recent large-scale protests in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, where temple workers demanded minimum wages comparable to those of unskilled and semi-skilled workers.
The plea alleged systemic exploitation, noting that priests earn below the 2026 inflation-adjusted cost of living index. It highlighted a February 7, 2025, Tamil Nadu circular prohibiting priests from accepting dakshina in aarti plates at Dandayuthapani Swami Temple in Madurai.
The petition invoked Article 21’s right to livelihood, and Article 43’s directive principles, arguing that denial of dignified wages violates constitutional guarantees.
This ruling leaves temple workers’ wage concerns to statutory remedies rather than constitutional intervention.
The plight of temple sevadars deserves urgent attention under existing labor laws. Follow Dharmic News for updates on temple staff welfare.
