Chief Minister showers sops on minorities

Financial support schemes on the lines of those for SCs and STs to be implemented

The State government announced a slew of sops for minorities, particularly Muslims who constitute 14.24 per cent of the population in Telangana, including the implementation of financial support schemes for them on the lines those for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

Participating in a four-hour debate on the schemes launched for the development and welfare of the minorities in the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday, Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao recalled that injustice was meted out to minorities in the united State as could be seen from the budgetary allocations made to the department over the years. The TRS government was committed to remedy the injustice by providing necessary financial and other assistance to the communities in the coming years.

Residential schools

Accordingly, it was decided to construct 200 residential schools for minorities, 100 exclusively for girls, to ensure that a bright generation of Muslims evolves in future. The government has estimated the initial expenditure for these schools to be around ₹586 crore and it has been expected to go up to ₹1,500 crore progressively over the years. The government was working out modalities relating to TS Prime, a scheme aimed at assisting budding entrepreneurs among the minority communities.

The government also announced enhancement of the honorarium being paid to Imams and Mouzans rendering spiritual services at Muslim places of worship from ₹1,000 a month to ₹1,500 a month and the decision would come into effect from the next financial year. Another ₹21 crore would be sanctioned for the construction of Anees-Ul-Ghurba, a multi-storeyed orphanage for Muslims at Nampally in the heart of the city and this would be a monument reflecting the government’s commitment to the welfare of the minorities.

Magesterial powers

In addition, it was decided to give magisterial powers to the Wakf Board dealing with the properties of Muslims while the government accepted a proposal made by MIM member Akbaruddin Owaisi to set up a state-of-the-art Islamic Study Centre along with the convention centre at a prime location in the IT establishment, Hi-Tech city.