Set up board to reach government benefits to Christians: Ivan D'Souza

Belagavi:  Regretting that the benefits of various government schemes did not reach the Christian community in the state, Legislative Council whip, Ivan D'Souza has urged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to announce the establishment of a Christian Development Board in the next budget to make sure it got its due.  

Addressing a programme organised at the ZP in Belagavi on Thursday, he said the Christian community was supposed to get welfare funds from the Centre and state under various schemes of the Minorities Welfare Department and the Minorities Development Board, but in practice it was deprived of the money  and other benefits. 

While rooting for the Christian Development Board, Mr D'Souza called on the government to hike the funds allocated  for development of Christians from Rs 175 crore in the last budget to Rs 500 crore in the next. Recalling that  the state had upped its grant from Rs 125 crore allocated for development of the community in 2016-17  to Rs 175 crore in 2017-18, he said it should now more than double the amount to meet its needs. He demanded  facilities on the lines provided to Muslims  going on pilgrimage to Mecca, for Christians visiting Jerusalem. For his part, he said, he was touring 27 districts of the state to create awareness in the community on schemes of the government. Mr D’Souza revealed that offices of Christian Welfare Committees would  be opened at the taluk level to reach out to more Christians in the state.