Belgaum: Minister Lakshmi Hebbalkar bats for medal to PSI Annapurna for Hubballi encounter
Belgaum, April 15: Women and Child Development Minister Lakshmi Hebbalkar on Monday said that she would recommend Police Sub-Inspector (PSI) Annapurna for a top state medal for her action in the recent Hubballi murder case, in which a minor girl was killed.
Speaking to media persons in Belgaum, Minister Hebbalkar said, “I appreciate PSI Annapurna’s work and will recommend to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Home Minister Dr G. Parameshwara that she be honoured with the highest award.” She also personally congratulated the officer for her bravery.
The minister reiterated her long-standing demand for strict punishment in crimes involving violence against women. “Those accused in such cases should be hanged. Quick justice must be ensured for the victims,” she said, adding that PSI Annapurna’s action should serve as an example for other officers in the state.
When asked whether Annapurna would be eligible for the Rani Channamma Award, the minister clarified that the award is not given to government employees, but if such consideration arises, Annapurna’s name would top the list.
Criticism of BJP and Law and Order Remarks
Hebbalkar also defended the state’s law and order record, stating that the Karnataka government had handled the Hubballi incident effectively. She dismissed BJP’s criticism and said, “Instead of targeting us, the BJP should look at what’s happening in Manipur. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not even visited the violence-hit state.”
Government to Organize Ambedkar Program in Nippani
Responding to a question about the BJP’s plan to host a ‘Bhima Nisam’ event in Nippani to commemorate 100 years of Dr B.R. Ambedkar’s visit, the minister said that the Congress-led government would also organise a program in Nippani to mark the occasion. She added that the matter had already been discussed in the cabinet.
Clarification on Caste Census
When asked about the release of the caste census, Minister Hebbalkar said that the Congress government has never opposed it. “The earlier census counted Veerashaivas and Lingayats separately. It should be corrected and updated. The population of all communities, including Veerashaivas and Lingayats, has increased,” she said, clarifying that the figures appearing low is due to the split in categorisation.
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SC to hear pleas for reviewing wages of priests, temple staff
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on Monday a plea to constitute a judicial commission or an expert committee to review the wages and other benefits given to priests, 'sevadars' and temple staff in state-controlled temples.
A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta is likely to hear the PIL filed by advocate Ashwini Upadhyay.
The plea, filed through advocate Ashwani Dubey, seeks directions to the Centre and states to constitute a judicial commission or an expert committee to review the remuneration and other benefits given to the priests and temple staff in state-controlled temples.
"Petitioner also seeks a declaration that priests and temple staff are employee' under Section 2(k) of the Code on Wages, 2019. Petitioner submits that once the State assumes the administrative, economic and financial control over temples, an employer-employee relationship arises and denial of dignified wages to priests and temple staff violates the right to livelihood guaranteed under Article 21," it said.
Upadhyay said the cause of action accrued on April 4, when he went to Varanasi to attend a public programme and after performing 'Rudrabhishek' in the Kashi Vishwanath temple, which is controlled by the state, he came to know that even the minimum wages to live with dignity are not given to the priests and temple staff.
"Recently, in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, priests and temple staff organised a large-scale protest demanding the minimum wages. Priests and temple staff are not getting even the minimum wage prescribed by the State for unskilled and semi-skilled workers. This is a systemic exploitation. State is acting as a model employer through the endowments department, but violating the minimum wages Act and the directive principles of state policy (Article 43)," it said.
The plea further said the continued refusal to meet the minimum wages with the 2026 inflation-adjusted cost of living index has forced the petitioner to seek judicial intervention to prevent the further marginalisation of priests and temple staff.
Upadhyay further said the precarious nature of livelihood was starkly exposed on February 7, 2025, when a Tamil Nadu department issued a circular at the 'Dandayuthapani Swami Temple' in Madurai, strictly prohibiting priests from accepting 'dakshina' in 'aarti plates'.
"It is necessary to state that priests in such temples often receive no formal salary from the State and rely entirely on 'Dakshina'; the State's administrative order directly threatened them with starvation. Although withdrawn due to public outrage, the incident highlights the State's arbitrary power over the survival of the priests. This is also a bitter truth that States are controlling lakhs of temples but not a single mosque or church," the PIL claimed.
The petition, alternatively, sought direction to the Centre and states to take appropriate steps for the welfare of priests, sevadars and other temple staff in the spirit of the Allahabad High Court's earlier judgments.
