Imams, Muezzins face hardship as Congress govt delays honorarium payments

Imams and Muezzins across Telangana continue to suffer due to repeated delays in honorarium payments by the Wakf Board. Many, especially in rural areas, rely solely on this income and allege government indifference despite earlier promises of timely release

Hyderabad: Imams and Muezzins, who hold important positions in the Muslim community, continue to face hardship owing to frequent delays in payment of honorariums by the Telangana State Wakf Board.

Imams, who lead prayers, and Muezzins, who recite the ‘adhaan’, are paid an honorarium of Rs 5,000 a month. The Wakf Board pays the amount after the Minority Welfare Department releases it.

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The scheme was introduced by former Chief Minister and BRS party president K Chandrashekhar Rao in 2015. In the initial phase, each Imam and Muezzin received Rs 1,000 a month, which was later increased to Rs 5,000 per month.

Imams and Muezzins in far off villages in the State depend on the honorarium paid by the Wakf Board. However, the Board members expressed inability to pay them as the funds are yet to be released by the Finance Department.

An Imam from a mosque in Yacharam mandal of Ranga Reddy district said majority of the Muslim families in the village were poor. “With the small donations collected in the village, it is difficult to manage our livelihood. The government promised to release the honorarium on time but it is not happening, leading to problems for us,” he complained.

The situation is worse in remote areas of Nalgonda, Wanaparthy, Sangareddy and Nizamabad districts. “Unlike cities and towns, there is no alternative source of livelihood; in remote areas we depend on the honorarium from the government. If it is not provided on time, we end up suffering,” said a Muezzin, who works at a mosque in Nagarkurnool district.

AP State Minorities Commission former member and advocate Syed Taraq Quadri said during the 2023 elections, the Congress party promised to release the honorarium in the first week of every month. “The Congress failed to deliver on its promise,” he lamented.