By TCN News,
Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao laid the foundation stone for the Christian Bhavan at Mahendra Hills, Secunderabad in the presence of Archbishop Thumma Bala, who is the president of the Federation of Telugu Churches (FTC) here.
During the foundation stone ceremony on December 23, Bishop Gollapalli John led the prayer while many cabinet ministers, including both the deputy chief ministers Dr T Rajaiah and Janab Mohammed Ali, were present for the ceremony. The chief minister had promised to lay the foundation stone during the United Christmas Celebrations (UCC) held here on December 18.
Earlier, the Telangana government had a government order (GO RT No 54) on December 19 sanctioning Rs 10 crore towards the construction of a Christian Bhavan and allotted two acres of land (survey no 188/1), Rev Fr Dr Anthoniraj Thumma, FTC executive secretary, said in a release here.
During the Christmas dinner hosted by the Chief Minister on December 22 for over 1,000 Christian leaders, cabinet ministers, government officials and other dignitaries, Rao assured that additional funds even to the tune of Rs two crore would be granted for the construction of Christian Bhavan.
During the foundation stone laying function, he reiterated that Christmas celebrations would be held next year in the newly constructed Christian Bhavan.
Fr Dr Anthoniraj Thumma, executive secretary of Federation of Telugu Churches (FTC), which consists of Bishops / Church heads of mainline Churches and major Christian denominations, thanked the Chief Minister for laying the foundation stone and for other benefits sanctioned by him on the eve of Christmas, especially for extending the government schemes and concessions granted to the Scheduled Castes to the Dalit Christians (GO MS No 25 dated December 20).
The FTC had submitted several memoranda to him on the demands of Christian Community in the State. The FTC also expresses its gratitude to the Chief Minister for the promises he made during the UCC regarding the protection of pastors and Christians in the State. The body is earnestly hoping that he would write a letter to the Prime Minister to grant equal status and constitutional rights to the Dalit Christians.
“As the Chief Minister assured us during the UCC, the FTC eagerly awaits his positive response with regard to the problems of the Church-run educational institutions, especially the continuing of the grant-in-aid posts and exemption from property tax,” the release added.