By TwoCircles.net staff reporter
Hyderabad : Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy said an ordinance would be promulgated within a month to provide five per cent reservation for Muslims in education and employment.
Participating in the distribution of computers to madrasas, organised by the state Urdu Academy here Saturday, Dr Reddy said the government would overcome all legal hurdles in a month for providing reservation for the Muslims as the issue was pending in the Supreme Court.
Stating that the government was committed to the welfare of Muslims, the Chief Minister said reservation in educational institutions would be provided for Muslim students from the current academic year with the promulgation of an ordinance.
Announcing that 'Mid-day meal' scheme would be implemented in madrasas and 'Muslim Welfare Day' will be organised on the occasion of Abul Kalam Azad's birthday on November 11 from this year, Dr Reddy said the issues of Muslim welfare, pending before the government, would be solved on the Welfare Day from village to city level.
Alleging that the previous NDA and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) governments had considered the madrasas to be 'ISI activity centres and communal centres', he said the Congress government had officially recognised them as service organisations working for the uplift of poor students.
Highlighting the achievement of his tenure, Dr Reddy said his government had allocated Rs 80 crore for providing scholarships for Muslim students during this year and constructed 12 minority pre-matric student hostel in the state.