Rs 45 Crore Released for Imams, Muezzins Ahead of Ramzan

Vijayawada: In a significant gesture ahead of the holy month of Ramzan, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has ordered the release of Rs 45 crore towards honorarium payments for Imams and Muezzins, fulfilling a promise he made a day earlier.

The announcement was made during an AP government Iftar programme in Vijayawada on Monday, where the CM assured these persons that their pending dues would be cleared. Within hours, the government acted, releasing funds to settle six months’ arrears in one go.

According to officials, nearly 10,000 Imams and Muezzins serving in about 5,000 mosques will benefit, with the amounts being directly credited into their bank accounts. Of the total, Rs 30 crore has been allocated to around 5,000 Imams, while Rs 15 crore will go to an equal number of Muezzins, covering their dues from October 2025 to March 2026.

The state government provides a monthly honorarium of Rs 10,000 to Imams and Rs 5,000 to Muezzins. With this, the total assistance extended under the scheme has reached Rs 180 crore.

Reaffirming his government’s commitment to minority welfare, Naidu said several such initiatives have been undertaken in the past 21 months. He had announced plans to construct a new Haj House in Amaravati and complete the pending facility in Kadapa soon.

He noted that efforts were on to safeguard nearly 1,500 Waqf properties and enhance the economic and political opportunities for Muslims in the state.