Honorarium for temple priests and mosque muezzins increased in West Bengal

Decision of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s All India Trinamool Congress Government
Monthly honorarium raised by ₹500 to take it to ₹2,000

(A muezzin is the person who calls the faithful to prayer by giving the ‘azan’ in a mosque.)

Kolkata (West Bengal) – Elections to the West Bengal Legislative Assembly are scheduled for next month. Barely an hour and fifteen minutes before this announcement, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee declared a ₹500 increase in the monthly honorarium for temple priests and mosque muezzins, raising it to ₹2,000.

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.

At the same time, all fresh…

— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) March 15, 2026

Posting on X (Twitter), Banerjee stated

That priests and muezzins play an important role in sustaining spiritual and social life. She added that the government has also approved all new applications under the honorarium scheme and that the State values and supports every community and tradition. (Over the past 15 years, however, the Hindu community has become weaker rather than stronger. What will Banerjee do about this ? – Editor)

The "Votebank" Game is on in Bengal 🎭

Mamata Banerjee’s Govt increases honorarium for Purohits & Muezzins to ₹2,000. 💸

📢 But let’s look at the history:
🔹 2012: Honorariums were ONLY for Imams & Muezzins.
🔹 2026: Purohits are finally added & hiked.

Is this genuine… pic.twitter.com/rOHyZw7Y4l

— Sanatan Prabhat (@SanatanPrabhat) March 16, 2026

Editorial Perspectives

Trinamool Congress desperate for votes!
In 2012, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had announced honorariums only for imams and muezzins. Now, as Hindus are becoming increasingly aware, priests have also been included in the scheme and their honorarium increased.