Ranchi, Aug. 31: Leaders of various churches in the state capital today decided to send a fact-finding team to Orissa in the wake of continued attacks on church property and persecution of members of the Christian community.

“The chief minister of Orissa is still dilly-dallying despite continued reports of atrocities on Christians,” said C.R.Prabhu, the vice-president of All Churches Committee, Ranchi.

“Since no one is being allowed to go to the affected areas in Khandhamal we have decided to wait for some time. The members of the team would be finalised at a later date,” he added, after chairing a meeting of various heads of churches. The leaders represented the Roman Catholic Church, the Gossner Evangelical Lutheran Church, and the NW G.E.L. Church, Assembly of God Church, Church of North India and the other Protestant churches.

Parch said the team, when allowed, would tour the affected areas and impress upon the Ores chief minister to initiate appropriate action against those responsible for the repeated attacks on the Christian community in the state.