Govt must stop financial assistance for damaged churches, demands VHP

Govt must stop financial assistance for damaged churches, demands VHP

Bhubaneswar:(visakeo) Defiant Viswa Hindu Parishad on Monday asked Orissa Government to stop any kind of financial help for the reconstruction of churches and prayer houses in riot hit Kandhamal district.

The Government has no right to spend taxpayers' money to appease Christian Community and it should withdraw its announcement in this regard, VHP State general secretary Gouri Prasad Rath said. There is no provision for financial assistance to places of worship in the relief code, so the Government must reconsider its decision, he added.

The Supreme Court had never directed the State Government for financial assistance. It had only asked the Government to look into the issue in a humanitarian manner but the Government seems mistaken over the Court order, he argued.

He further pointed out that as Church, training centers for pastors and Nun are patronizing conversion activities; the Government must stop financial assistance to restore communal harmony in Kandhamal.

Orissa became first State in the country, which offered such type of financial help for reconstruction of religious institutions damaged during communal violence.

Churches, prayer houses, temples, mosques, gurudwaras, boudh vihars, jain temples and prayer halls of tribals and training institutions for nuns and pastors would get financial help as per the official announcement of the Orissa Government.

According to the order issued by the Revenue Department, places of worship and religious institutions built on disputed land would not be eligible for getting the assistance, which will vary from Rs 10,000 to Rs two lakh.

Rs 2 lakh each would be provided for churches and temples destroyed during riots in Kandhamal, while partially damaged places of worship would be given Rs 1 lakh each.

Similarly, Rs 50,000 each would be given for completely destroyed prayer halls, while those with moderate damage would be given Rs 20,000 each and partially damaged prayer halls would get Rs 10,000 each.

By Golakha Chandra Das