Coimbatore: Chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Monday said that the state government will allow 1,000 people to undertake pilgrimage to Jerusalem from now on.
He was addressing a conference of Tamil Nadu Christian Democratic Federation at CODISSIA trade fair complex in the city. In 2018-19, the state government has increased the number of beneficiaries from 500 to 600 and they were provided a subsidy of Rs 20,000 for their annual pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Based on public demand, the state government has increased the grant given for the pilgrimage from Rs 20,000 to Rs 37,000, he said.
Similarly, every year, the government would allocate a sum of Rs 1 crore to carry out repair and maintenance works at the churches. This year, it has been increased to Rs 5 crore, he added.
“The demands placed by various Christian organizations will be considered and fulfilled at the earliest,” he said.TNN