By The Hindu Bureau

Copyright thehindu

The State government has constituted an Advisory Committee and Pastors Welfare Committee for the welfare and development of the Christian community in Telangana.

The Government Order issued by the Minorities Welfare department made the Minister for Minorities Welfare Adluri Laxman and Md. Ali Shabbir as the chairman and vice-chairman of the 42-member-strong Advisory committee. The panel has representatives of all the mainline churches including the Catholic and Protestant denominations and independent churches.

Cardinal Antony Poola of the Roman Catholic Church, Rt Rev Reuben Mark, Moderator of Church of South India (CSI), Rev M. Purshotham and among the prominent representatives of the various denominations. The Advisory panel also include former IAS and IPS officers – Minnie Mathews, G. D. Aruna, K. Babu Rao, Aruna Bahuguna, Swaranjit Sen and former legislators Christine Lazarus and Mary Ravindranath. The tenure of the panel is for three years.

The Pastors Welfare Committee is headed by chairman of Telangana Christian Minorities Finance Corporation Deepak John Kokkadan with 17 other members including B. Shafiullah, Commissioner, Minorities Welfare department as co-chairman, P. Sabitha, Managing Director, Telangana Christian Minorities Finance Corporation as member convenor and Rev M. Rajeshwar Solomon, CSI and others as panel members.