The outgoing lay trustee and treasurer of the Mar Thoma Syrian Church of Malabar, Prakash P.Thomas, presented the annual budget of the Church for 2017-’18 with a total income of ₹116.36 crore and expenditure of ₹39.09 crore at the three-day meet of the Mar Thoma Prathinidhi Sabha Mandalam, which is regarded as the Parliament of the Church, that came to a close at the Church headquarters in Thiruvalla on Friday.
The Metropolitan of the Church, Joseph Mar Thoma, presided over the meet. According to Mr. Thomas, a budget allocation of ₹1 crore each has been made for Mar Chrysostum birth centenary housing project, transgender empowerment, and for setting up a new guidance centre at Vellore in Tamil Nadu.
He said a total of ₹70 lakh has been set apart for the ‘Snehakarom’ project project launched by the Church in connection with the 80th birthday celebrations of the Mar Thoma Metropolitan, Joseph Mar Thoma.
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Mr. Prakash said ₹1.25 crore has been set apart for providing relief to the natural calamity-hit areas and ₹25 lakh for the special housing scheme of the Church for the poor.
The budget has made an allocation worth ₹1.5 crore for the Kuttalam retreat home and ₹1.2 crore for providing medical aid to the clergy.
The allocation for various other schemes and activities of the Church are: Balawadis: ₹25 lakh; anti-drug abuse campaign: ₹5 lakh; Renovation of primary schools: ₹4 lakh ; renovation of the Old Pulatheen: ₹20 lakh ; Church animation centre ₹15 lakh ; welfare of the backward classes: ₹14 lakh ; software development: ₹35 lakh.
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New Church secretary
Fr K.G.Joseph, Vicar of the Chetpet Mar Thoma Parish in Chennai, has been elected the new secretary of the Mar Thoma Church at the Mar Thoma Prathinidhi Sabha Mandalam meeting.
Fr Thomas C.Alexander, Vicar at the St Paul’s Mar Thoma Church at Adayar in Chennai, is the new clergy trustee of the Mar Thoma Church.