West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday announced an increase in the monthly honorariums given to priests and muezzins in the state. The honorarium has been raised by ₹500, taking the total monthly amount to ₹2,000.

Banerjee shared the update through a post on X, stating that the services of priests and muezzins play an important role in maintaining the spiritual and social fabric of communities.

“I am pleased to announce an increase of ₹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 ₹2,000 per month,” Banerjee wrote.

Fresh applications approved

Along with the increase in honorarium, the Chief Minister said the state government has approved all fresh applications submitted by priests and muezzins.

“At the same time, all fresh applications that have been duly submitted by purohits and muezzins have also been approved by the State Government,” she said.

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Banerjee described them as the “custodians of our rich spiritual heritage” and said the government aims to ensure they receive due recognition and support.

“We take pride in nurturing an environment where every community and every tradition is valued and strengthened. Our endeavour remains to ensure that the custodians of our rich spiritual heritage receive the recognition and support they deserve,” she added.

Announcement comes ahead of Assembly Polls

The announcement comes today at a time when the Election Commission of India is set to declare Assembly elections in several states, including West Bengal, Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, during a press conference at 4 PM at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi.

Earlier, an increase in benefits under the Lakshmir Bhandar scheme was also announced. Women from Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) households will now receive ₹1,700 per month, while women from General and OBC categories will receive ₹1,500 per month.

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The West Bengal government also announced a new scheme aimed at supporting unemployed youth in the state. While presenting the state budget in the Assembly, Finance Department Minister-in-Charge Chandrima Bhattacharya introduced the Banglar Yuva-Sathi scheme.

Under the scheme, unemployed individuals will receive ₹1,500 per month as financial assistance.