Andhra Chief Minister Sanctions Separate Department For Christian Minorities By SAR NEWS
HYDERABAD, Andhra Pradesh (SAR NEWS) -- Andhra Pradesh state Chief Minister Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy June 30 said a separate Christian Minority Welfare Department and a Christian Minority Development and Finance Corporation would be created to cater to the needs and demands of the minority Christian community and implement government schemes allocated for it in the state. The chief minister also assured a delegation of 600 Christian leaders, including bishops and pastors, that electricity tariff would not be levied on Church buildings on commercial basis, but on the basis of domestic rates. He also promised to allot land for Christian burial grounds and construction of churches. Anil World Evangelism, an organisation led by Bro. Anil Kumar, a popular evangelist and son-in-law of the chief minister, arranged the meeting at Hotel Grand Kakathiya here. The main purpose of the meeting was to discuss the issues and problems faced by the Christian minority in the State. Vice-Chairman of the Andhra Pradesh State Minorities Commission, Rev. Pratap Sinha Komannapalli, chaired the meeting. Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church president Rev. Dr. V.E. Christopher, Baptist Pastor Rev. Dr. G. Samuel, Pastor Rev. P. Deevan Kumar of the Rock Church, Rev. PNS Chandra Bose of the Gospel Mission and Rev. M. Johnson of the Church of Christ Ministries and other leaders of Pastors' Associations expressed their appreciation for the great service done by the chief minister and articulated the difficulties faced by the Christian groups and the pastors. Bro. Anil Kumar called for a bold united action to tackle the problems of the Christian community in the state. Addressing the concerns of the pastors, the chief minister said that the government was considering the possibility of giving them monthly allowances and providing them housing and other amenities. Regarding the draft Bills on Christian Property Board, the chief minister said these Bills were shelved long ago and no further move would be made on the matter, without consulting the bishops and Church heads. A dialogue with Christian leaders will be arranged to rectify the notification on the ban on propagation of other faiths in 20 temple towns, issued through Goverment Orders 746 and 747, he said. Reddy also promised that the injustice done to the Dalit Christians must be rectified by giving them the Scheduled Caste status. The Supreme Court is seized of matter and legal remedy and judicial relief might come soon, he hoped. A memorandum of Andhra Pradesh Federation of Churches (APFC), a state-level organisation of the bishops and heads of Churches, was presented to the Chief Minister by president of APFC, CSI Bishop B.P. Sugandhar, while APFC executive secretary, Father Anthoniraj Thumma, highlighted the concerns of the Christian minority and their long-pending demands.
