Dinakar hits out at Andhra Govt. over monthly allowance for pastors

BJP Spokesperson Lanka Dinakar on Monday slammed Chief Minister Jaganmohan Reddy-led Andhra Pradesh government for announcing to give Rs 5,000 per month as an honorarium for Pastors in the state.

Dinakar said, "Why this Government of Andhra Pradesh is allowing Rs 5000 per month to each pastor from the state fund. But there is no such allowance for Hindu pandits."

He also demanded the state government to release funds for cow-shelters and said, "We strongly demand facilities to feed cows in Goshalas around the state as most of the Goshalas are not financially strong to feed the cows adequately".

The government of Andhra Pradesh in a press note on August 27 has informed all the district collectors and magistrates in the state that providing Rs 5,000 as an honorarium to pastors in the state was the promise made by the YSRCP in its manifesto.

Earlier on August 30, Dinakar had accused the state government of misusing public money.

"Soon after YS Jagan Mohan Reddy became chief minister, he went to Jerusalem, it was declared as his private visit, but more than 30,000 dollars were paid to a travel agency of Israel through GO No 1737. Now his government has issued a GO number 54 on August 27 to provide financial assistance to Christians for Jerusalem trip. It appears that CM Jagan approach is that like him every Christian is eligible to go there with the funds from state government's exchequer," Dinakaran had said.

Dinakaran had added that the state government had provided no such facilities to the Hindus for their pilgrimages while it keeps on treating their temples as "revenue-generating" machines for the government exchequer.