Devi Devta Kardar Sangh urges govt for 20% hike in honorarium of deities
The Devi Devta Kardar Sangh, at a general house meeting here yesterday, approved a proposal to request the state government for a 20 per cent increase in the honorarium of the deities arriving from rural areas of Kullu during the week-long Dasehra festival. District president of the Sangh Dhot Ram Thakur presided over the meeting held at the Dev Sadan auditorium in Kullu district while district general secretary TC Manhat conducted the proceedings, including a comprehensive review of the Sangh’s financial accounts.
It’s Necessary to attend camps
It was decided at the general house meeting that the deities, who would not attend their designated camps for three consecutive years, would lose their claim to those camps, necessitating administrative reallocation upon their return
Over three hours, the participants engaged in detailed discussions on six key agendas pertaining to the Dev Samaj. A resolution was passed to express gratitude to Chief Parliamentary Secretary Sunder Singh Thakur, president of the Kullu Dasehra Committee, for the introduction of modern red-roof tents dedicated to the deities.
The Sangh proposed the setting up of a disaster relief fund that would receive Rs 500 every year from the deities. Besides, a resolution aimed at addressing discrepancies in the allocation of offerings based on seniority was also passed.
The participants suggested various improvements, including increasing the size of the tents provided by the Dasehra Committee, levelling of the sites of the deity camps and installing additional water taps. The meeting also discussed the impact of the 2023 Dasehra fire incident and demanded compensation for the kardar of Maharshi Markandey and 15 other affected deities.
Dhot Ram Thakur said that deities would not be permitted to attend Dasehra without prior invitation. He emphasised the importance of submitting complete documents while registering new deities. He added that damaged tents would be replaced with new ones rather than just tarpaulins.
The meeting concluded with a pledge to expedite the eligibility verification process for the kardar. District vice-president Sher Singh and several block heads of the Sangh, besides 200 registered members from 13 blocks attended the meeting.
