New Delhi, May 10 -- A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking directions to the Centre and States to constitute a Judicial Commission or Expert Committee to review the wages, service conditions and welfare benefits of priests, sevadars and temple staff working in State-controlled temples.

The petition has been filed by advocate and activist Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay under Article 32 of the Constitution.

The plea also seeks a declaration that priests, sevadars and temple staff should be treated as "employees" under Section 2(k) of the Code on Wages, 2019, making them entitled to minimum wages and other labour protections.

According to the petition, several States exercise administrative and financial c...