Christians seek appointment of chairman for APCMFC

Anantapur: Christian minority community in the district are urging the TDP government in the state to apply its mind on appointing a chairman for the AP Christian Minorities Finance Corporation(APCMFC).

Despite the lapse of four years after the Telugu Desam Party taking over the reins of government in the state, the Christian Corporation does not have a chairman to give a direction to the corporation which devised several welfare schemes aimed at their upliftment.

Rural Pastors Welfare Society secretary Jabez David says that the Chief Minister should apply his mind on filling the post of Chairmanship for the Christian Corporation as it is the effective tool to reach out to the underprivileged members of the communities both economically and politically. 

He hailed the welfare schemes being implemented for the Christian Community including self-employment ventures for unemployed youth, scholarships for the students and churches and community halls construction for the minority community. He said that the society has a membership of 500 Rural Churches spread throughout the district. 

He stated that the Christian community is upset with the discrimination it is being subjected to with regard to the scheduled caste status. One who is a Hindu by religion is allowed to reap the benefits of SC caste status while an SC who is a Christian by religion is denied the caste status benefit, he regretted. 

Several Christian leaders feel that the APCMFC  is currently direction less and rudderless as there is none to lead it and realise the goals and objectives of the corporation. With hardly a year left before the next Assembly elections, time is running out for the Chandrababu Naidu government to make a mark on the development of the minority communities, the members feel. 

Glory Rani, a Christian women's leader says that the Chandrababu Naidu government is implementing welfare schemes for the Christian community unheard of during the 60 year rule of Congress Party. The Congress had taken the communities for granted while the TDP government is functioning in an unbiased manner even though the communities never fully supported it in the ballot box.

Amir Khan, an educated Muslim youth says that the funds to the order Rs. 2018.93 lakhs were sanctioned by the Minorities Corporation for scholarships to benefit 8749 beneficiaries but fee reimbursement funds to the order of Rs.1750.29 crores for 10,816 students have not been reimbursed so far for the year 2017-18 financial year.

Salman Rushdie, a business man in the city says that while welcoming the Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu for increasing budgetary allocation for the minorities this year to Rs.1000 crores, has appealed to up the total budget to Rs.1400 crores.