The Hindu : Kerala / Alappuzha News : Steps sought for welfare of Dalit Christians

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Feb 19, 2005

Kerala

Kerala - Alappuzha

Steps sought for welfare of Dalit Christians

By Our Staff Reporter

ALAPPUZHA, FEB. 18. The Alappuzha Bishop and Kerala Catholic Bishops Council's Dalit commission chairman, Stephen Athipozhiyil, today urged the State Government to take steps to provide funds to the Kerala State Development Corporation for Christian Converts from Scheduled Castes.

At a press conference here, Mr. Athipozhiyil said welfare activities executed by the corporation for the development of Dalit Christians had come to a standstill owing to the failure of the Government to provide funds to the corporation.

The Bishop alleged that certain officials of the corporation were hampering the smooth functioning of the corporation. He said such officials should be removed from the corporation. He called upon the Government to earmark Rs. 10 crores for the corporation.

Reservation benefits

The Bishop also appealed to the Government to put pressure on the Union Government to provide reservation to Dalit Christians in Government service. He said the State Government was ignoring the demands of Dalit Christians on the issue. Steps should be taken to provide reservation benefits to Dalit Christians in local bodies, he said.

According to him, the Panchayat Act passed by the Union Government had provisions to provide seat reservation to backward communities, including Dalit Christians. Mr. Athipozhiyil said the Government should include welfare activities for Dalit Christians in the one-year action plan declared by the Chief Minister recently. The KCBC Dalit Commission secretary, Jose Vadakkekoot, also took part.

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