VIJAYAWADA: Deputy Chief Minister (Minorities Welfare) SB Amzath Basha on Thursday released an honorarium for pastors on the lines of Archakas and Muezzins. A total of 5,196 pastors in the State are getting Rs 5,000 honorarium per month.
Speaking on the occasion, he said the amount was credited into the bank accounts of beneficiaries. “Every eligible poor in the State is being provided aid under different schemes by Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. Our government is committed to ensuring peace and prosperity of everyone in the State,” he asserted.
The minorities welfare department had conducted an awareness programme and beneficiaries identified during the programme are being provided aid. “We will expand our minority welfare portal and those eligible pastors left out in the first list will also be provided aid in the due course,” he assured.
Asserting that the State government is committed to maintaining communal harmony, Basha said the programme was intended to treat pastors on par with Archakas, Imams and Muezzins.
“We want to honour the services of the poor pastors and help them lead a dignified life,” he said.
The Deputy Chief Minister said the government had released a welfare calendar. “We will soon issue a government order liberalising the rules and regulations to identify the eligible pastors for payment of honorarium,” he said.
Advisor (Social Justice) to the State government Jupudi Prabhakar, MLA Malladi Vishnu, Christian Corporation Chairman John Wesley, Minority Welfare Department Secretary A Md Imtiaz and others were present.