Mysuru:  The District Administration faces an uphill task to manage rush at Chamundeshwari Temple from tomorrow (Dec. 14) as priests, permanent and temporary employees of  Sri Chamundeshwari Temple and other temples atop Chamundi Hill have threatened to go on an indefinite strike.

Tomorrow being Friday, there will be extra rush of devotees especially in the morning as the day is considered auspicious for the devotees of Durga. Though the priests have said that their protest will not come in the way of regular puja rituals as they would attend to the same in the morning till 10 am and in the evening between 7 pm and 9.30 pm, it will not be an easy task to control the crowd if large number of devotes and tourists visit the temple from tomorrow.

On their part, the priests have decided to go ahead with the indefinite strike. Speaking to Star of Mysore this morning, Chamundi Temple Complex Employees Association Secretary Subramanya said, “All these years we have received only assurances from the government and our pathetic state has not changed. We have decided to go ahead with the strike and after the puja rituals, we will sit outside the temple. We will not block the entry of devotees into the temple.”

Chamundi Temple Executive Officer K.M. Prasad said that a committee formed by the State government to find a solution to demands of employees in various Muzrai Department temples comprising temple executive officers have submitted its report to the government. “We have submitted a report and in view of the protest threat by priests, CM Kumaraswamy is scheduled to hold a meeting with senior officials of Muzrai Department in Bengaluru this evening,” he said.  

Chamundi Temple Complex Employees Association General Secretary C.S. Vishwanath said that the strike will be called off if the government agrees to their demands. Some of the demands are salary hike by 30 per cent and allowances and bonus during Dasara.

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