Christian leaders urge AP CM to safeguard church properties from land grab
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Amaravati: A petition urging the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy to safeguard the assets owned by churches in the state was presented by a group of Christian representatives at the chief minister's office.
Bishops and other Christian leaders drew Reddy's attention to the alleged appropriation of church properties in Andhra Pradesh during this meeting.
"They brought to the notice of the Chief Minister that their properties are being grabbed and sought effective steps to protect them," an official statement said on Monday.
The representatives met under the banner of the AP Federation of Churches and also requested Reddy to exempt charity organisations from paying local taxes.
According to the statement, the Chief Minister assured them that an advisor would be appointed soon to spearhead their issues regularly to the government, including responding favourably to the request for separate cemeteries for the community.
Several denominations across the Christian faith own prime properties in the southern state, in the form of churches, schools, colleges, hospitals and others.
With PTI inputs