By Manzar Bilal, TwoCircles.net,
Patna: The Bihar Budget for fiscal year 2011-12 presented on 25th Feb. has allocation of Rs. 90 crore for the schemes meant for the welfare of Minorities. The budget also introduced two new schemes for minority welfare –‘Chief Minister Educational Loan Scheme for Minority Students’ and Chief Minister Employment Loan Scheme for Minority Youth.’
Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi, who is also Finance Minister, yesterday presented the state annual budget of Rs 65,325.87 crore with the deficit of Rs. 13.03 crore for financial year 2011-12 in the Assembly.
Besides new schemes, the amount allocated for Minority will be spent in different schemes like scholarships for Minority students, intensification development project in Minority concentration districts, fencing graveyards, establishment of more educational centres in Minority concentration areas and protection of Waqf properties.
But the Muslims are not happy with the meager amount allocated for minorities.
In his reaction Nayyer Fatami, Director of Alkhair Charitable Trust, termed it “a joke done with Muslims by the state government” as the amount is far less compared to their population in the state. “In Rs 65,325.87 crore state budget only Rs. 90 crore for Minority has no meaning. Nothing significant can be done with this amount. It is insufficient and unjustified amount because the amount stands not even one percent of the budget while Muslims are 16.5% of the total population of the state. The share in the budget is our right but the way the government sanctioned the amount shows it as charity” he said.
“The budget should have more for the betterment of Minority educational institutions, more scholarship, surety of timely payment to Minority teachers as they are not given salaries sometimes for 9-10 months” he added.
“I have doubt about the intention of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar towards welfare of Muslims. Despite having all the power in the government, why didn’t he take any notice about the low amount for Muslims?” he asked.
“Muslim leaders must raise voice against this act of NDA government because it is not the thing that should be taken lightly. Otherwise, the thing will be getting bad to worse” he urged.
“I wonder as to why Urdu newspapers praised the government for the meager allotted amount and made it the top headlines” he added.
Muslims in a rally organized on Muslim issues on April, 2010 in Gandhi Maindan, Patna [TCN Photos]
Maulana Anisur Rahman Qasmi, general Secretary of Imarat Shariah, also echoed the tone of Nayyer Fatami. “It is very less amount as it includes lots of schemes. It should be at least Rs. 200 crores. The amount is even less than that spent during last financial year” he said.
On the fact that Bihar government is cutting amount for minority every year the Maulan, who is also chairman of Bihar Haj Committee, said: “Yes, it is very bad. It should not be done because it is their rights. The Chief Minister Nitish Kumar increased the amount last year from his fund later but I think sufficient amount should be allocated in budget itself.”
However, the budget has allocation of Rs 3,875 crore for road construction, Rs 3,014 crore for Human Resource Development Department, Rs 2,112 crore for Water Resource, Rs 1,740 crore for Social Welfare, Rs 1,682 crore for Energy Department, Rs 1,567 crore for Panchayati Raj, and Rs 1,293 crore for Rural Development.
As Bihar has abolished legislator’s fund and introduced in its place CM Area Development Program, the budget has allocated Rs. 644.58 crore for that which will be spent on development works in 243 assembly constituencies and concerned districts on the advice of concerned legislators.