Kakinada: Pastors unwilling to apply for 5,000 dole

Kakinada: Many pastors are reluctant to apply for Rs 5,000 financial assistance announced by Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy. They are telling officials that there was no need for them to avail the government's dole.

The minority welfare department asked the mandal parishad development officers (MPDOs) to send the applications from the pastors to render the financial assistance. The department collected over 2,500 names of pastors for the benefit, but of them, only 73 pastors have so far applied under the scheme in the district.

It is learnt that Kothapet MPDO informed the minority welfare department that the pastors in the mandal had not come forward to avail the dole. District minority welfare officer Ch Gowthami Kumari said that there were no instructions from the government regarding the scheme. However, she wants to prepare the list of pastors and send it to the commissioner of minority welfare and Andhra Pradesh State Minorities Finance Corporation (APSMFC).

"Pastors can apply for the dole up to December. The department has received three applications from Yetapaka, 33 from Amalapuram, 11 from Pedapudi and 29 from Tallarevu so far. We have asked the MPDOs to publicise the scheme to encourage the pastors. The village and ward volunteers will gather the pastors' details in their respective areas and submit it to the MPDOs and then the final data will be prepared and sent to the government," she said. Gowthami Kumari said the pastors who want to avail the facility should submit their pastor's certificate issued by the relevant missionary or institute, Aadhaar number and bank account.

Meanwhile, it is learnt that many pastors are not applying for the dole fearing they may lose reservation benefits as it would confirm their religion which would result in their losing reservation benefits. The current guidelines do not permit extension of reservations to Dalits who follow non-Hindu religions.

Another reason is that most of the pastors do not need Rs 5,000 assistance from the government as they do get more than that per month their respective religious institutions or laity, who have to offer one-tenth of their income to the church.