The Assam government on Tuesday formally handed over one-time financial assistance of Rs 10,000 each to 6,124 Namghoriyas and 2,148 Purohits (priests) of the state as part of its financial support promise made during the Covid pandemic.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma handed financial assistance to these individuals at a ceremony held at the state capital complex Janata Bhawan.
“Owing to the huge number of beneficiaries of the initiative, 10 Purohits and 10 Namghoriyas were symbolically handed over the cheques of Rs 10,000 each at Janata Bhawan,” a statement from Chief Minister’s Office said.
The statement added that the remaining beneficiaries were provided with the amount through bank transfer to their respective accounts.
Speaking at the event, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said this initiative had been taken by the government owing to the difficulties the Purohits and the Namghoriyas had to face during the Covid peak, when temples and monasteries were shut down to prevent the spread of the virus.
The Chief Minister said the neo-Vaishnavite monasteries and temples do not merely play spiritual and religious roles in the day-to-day lives of the people of Assam but also have cultural significance, as per the statement.
Separately, the statement said the state government, in a function to be held at Shrimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra on January 1, 2023, would formally accept the responsibility of preserving the residence of the late Pratima Pandey Baruah as a heritage structure from her family members.
On October 7, 2022, the state Cabinet decided to acquire land and develop a museum at the current palace site of the late Padma Shri Pratima Barua Pandey in the state’s Dhubri district. The initiative was to honour the life and legacy of the celebrated Goalparia folk singer.
