A damaged church during kandhamal violence ( File Photo)
Horoscope Today
Opinion Poll
Bhubaneswar (Orissa): Orissa Government's move to rebuild damaged religious institutions including churches may likely to create further communal flare up in riot hit Kandhamal with Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangh warning dire consequence.
Orissa became first State in the country, which offered such type of financial help for reconstruction of religious institutions damaged during communal violence. Sangh Pariwar has sent a strong message by holding a massive Sradhanjali Sabha here on Saturday.
Churches, prayer houses, temples, mosques, gurudwaras, boudh vihars, jain temples and prayer halls of tribals and training institutions for nuns and pastors would get financial help as per the official announcement of the Orissa Government.
According to the order issued by the Revenue Department, places of worship and religious institutions built on disputed land would not be eligible for getting the assistance, which will vary from Rs 10,000 to Rs two lakh.
Rs 2 lakh each would be provided for churches and temples destroyed during riots in Kandhamal, while partially damaged places of worship would be given Rs 1 lakh each.
Similarly, Rs 50,000 each would be given for completely destroyed prayer halls, while those with moderate damage would be given Rs 20,000 each and partially damaged prayer halls would get Rs 10,000 each.
It may be noted here that there is no provision for financial assistance to places of worship in the relief code. But the Government decided to provide help as the Supreme Court on October 22 advised it to adopt a flexible approach in supporting rebuilding of broken religious places.
The district administration of Kandhamal has been asked to complete the process of assessment of damage to places of worship and religions institutions and submit a final report by November 25, a senior official said.
The Sangh Pariwar has warned Orissa Revenue Minister Manmohan Samal, who claimed to be a disciplined member. He was accused of working like a Christian leader. Several Hindu saints charged that the former RSS sympathiser was trying to keep his Ministerial berth at the cost of the Hindu Society.
Samal's Revenue Department was instrumental in re-building churches damaged in the violence. Bharatitya Kissan Sangh national organizing Secretary Mohini Mohan Mishra during his speech said, “Samal should be careful in his activities".
