Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi hails Budget, says it fulfils national duty towards minorities

Empowering minorities will be thefocus area of the NDA government during the next fiscal, UnionMinister Mukhtar Abbas asserted on Saturday and hailed the Budgetfor provisions made for development of the communities in linewith its “rashtriya kartavya” (national duty).

Rs 4,195.48 crore has been allocated to the Ministry OfMinority Affairs in the Budget for 2017-18, nearly 10 per centor Rs 368.23 crore rise over the provision made for 2016-17.

“The Modi government believes that development of poor,weaker sections and minorities is not only its ‘rajdharma’ butalso its ‘rashtriya kartavya’ (national duty),” Naqvi said.

“Its focus is on educational empowerment and skilldevelopment of minorities. Maximum part of this budget will beused for the purpose,” said the minister.

Naqvi said for 2017-18 fiscal, his ministry has setitself a target of providing scholarships to about 35 lakhstudents. Employment-oriented training will be provided tomore than two lakh youths belonging to minority communities.

The government has hiked allocation for his ministry’sspending under the Prime Minister’s new 15-point programme by19 per cent vis-a-vis the current fiscal, he said.

More than Rs 2,600 crore has been earmarked for theministry’s various scholarships and skill development schemessuch as ‘Seekho aur Kamao’, ‘Nai Manzil’, ‘Nai Roshni’, ‘Usttad’, ‘Garib Nawaz Skill Development Centre’ and ‘BegumHazrat Mahal’ scholarship for girls.

Rs 250 crore has been allocated for ‘Seekho aur Kamao’ and Rs 176 crore for ‘Nai Manzil’ scheme, a jump of Rs 56crore and Rs 40 crore respectively over the current fiscal.

Rs 113 crore has been earmarked for Maulana AzadEducation Foundation and Rs 170 crore as equity for NationalMinorities Development and Finance Corporation.

Besides, funds under multi-sectoral development programme(MsDP), with a total allocation of Rs 1,200 crore having anincrease of Rs 141 crore over the last fiscal, will beutilised for various educational and development activities.

In the last six months, the minority affairs ministry hasapproved around 200 ‘sadbhav mandap’. Sixteen ‘Gurukul’ typeschools have been approved at cost of around Rs 262 crore, theUnion MoS for Minority Affairs said.

“We have also decided to help those madrasas who are alsoproviding mainstream education,” the minister said.

The mandaps will be used as community centres for variouscultural, social, educational activities as well as reliefcentres during calamity, he said.

Naqvi said his ministry proposes to offer 40 per centreservation to minority girl students at five world classinstitutes to be set up for imparting education to students ofminority communities.

“Students from other communities though can undertakeeducation at the institutes... Till now, 16 states haveevinced interest in setting up the institutes,” he said.

Out of Rs 3,827 crore allotted to the ministry for the financial year 2016-17, it has spent around Rs 2,800 crore until now on scholarship, training and other education-related activities.