Rs 50-crore package for Xians in State

Briefing reporters, Law Minister Suresh Kumar said Rs 35 crore would be spent for construction of community halls and providing financial help for poor Christian students including micro-credit and skill-building schemes and merit scholarships. A sum of Rs 15 crore will be earmarked for development of churches.

Minority Welfare Minister Mumtaz Ali Khan held a series of meetings with representatives of the community on development schemes to be taken up under the budget allocation.

‘Assuaging feelings’

The gesture is seen in some quarters as one aimed at assuaging the feelings of Christian community which has rejected a recent judicial commission report on church attacks in the State in 2008 and has demanded a CBI probe.

He said a committee was constituted with Mumtaz Ali Khan as Chairman and representatives of Christian community as members to monitor the implementation of the schemes.