Salary for ex-servicemen working as TPF tripled

CHENNAI: Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Wednesday tripled the consolidated payment for the 3,000 ex-servicemen serving as personnel for the Temple Protection Force. The payment will be increased from Rs1,500 to Rs 5,000 per month. The Temple Protection Force was formed in 1992 during the first tenure of Jayalalithaa as the chief minister with 1,000 second grade constables and 3,000 ex-servicemen to safeguard the idols of gods and goddesses, ornaments and hundis in the temples. The consolidated payment at that time was fixed at Rs 1,500, but was not hiked later. After taking into consideration the nature of the job and inflation, the Chief Minister has enhanced the consolidated payment to Rs 5,000 per month from Rs 1,500.