By Tarique Anwar, TwoCircles.net,
Patna: The Bihar government on Sunday launched three minority welfare schemes with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar distributing loans among Muslim youths for self employment, Rs 10, 000 each to some divorced women and the similar amount among students who secured first division in matric exam in Patna district.
CM Nitish Kumar addressing the function. (From left in the front row) Principal Secretary, department of Minority Welfares & Home Secretary Afzal Amanullah, chairman of state Minority Commission Naushad Ahmad and Minister for Minority Affairs Shahid Ali Khan
The chief minister in a program at SK Memorial Hall in the state capital distributed loans to 12 minority youths to make them self employed under term loan scheme of Bihar Minority financial Corporation (BMFC). In total the loan will be provided to 800 people. The CM handed a cheque of Rs10,000 each to 10 poor divorced women. A total of 745 divorced women will benefit from the scheme to be funded by the Bihar Sunni Wakf Board. The chief minister also gave a cheque of Rs 10,000 each to 10 students out of selected 614 from minority community in Patna district.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said the majority of 10 lakh students who do not go to schools are either minorities or Mahadalits. That’s why the government has ordered to open special educational institutions in minority dominated areas. He said that his government has distributed Rs14,46,00,000 crore in loan in the last three years through BMFC.
CM Nitish Kumar with Shahid Ali Khan presenting a cheque of Rs10,000 to a Muslim woman
He said that he has raised the fund for BFMC from Rs 10 crores to Rs 20 crores. This corporation should not be only on signboards or be discussed at the function of minorities, said Nitish.
He said it was a bitter fact that Muslims had become most backward in the field of education and economy and due to this reason the government had decided to give Rs 10,000 under incentive money scheme to the students who secured first division in matriculation examination. He said that when this decision was strongly opposed by some people and even some of them challenged this move in court but this scheme will continue because he had made it after a lot of thought. This initiative was very important to encourage the Muslim students, he added.
Describing government schemes for minorities Minister for Minority Affairs Shahid Ali Khan praised Chief Minister for being serious for uplift of the minority community.
A view of audience at SK Memorial Hall
Naushad Ahamad, chairman of Bihar State Minority Commission, threw light on minority welfare steps taken by the Nitish government. He said the chief minister 10-point programme has been implemented 100 percent. Maulana Mazharul Haque Arabic and Persian University have started functioning and Bihar Text Book Publishing Corporation has started printing text books in Urdu.
Those present on the occasion included Home Secretary Afzal Amanullah, Professor Aslam Azad, deputy leader JD(U) in the state legislative council, Amir Subhani, Secretary, Personnel Department, Maulana Ejaz Ahmad, Chairman, Madrasa Educataion Board, Sharif Qureshi, acting chairman, 15-point programme implementation committee, and Shahzad Ansari, secretary Urdu Academy.