By Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net,
Can’t Muslim officers become good monitors? Or doesn’t the government have faith in them for such work? Only the government can give true answer. But what can one infer from this fact? There are only 7 Muslims among 90 Monitors appointed by the Central Government for Minority Concentration Districts (MCDs).
After reports that central government schemes particularly those under Multi-sectoral Development Program (MsDP) run by the Union Ministry of Minority Affairs are not being implemented properly and honestly by local administration, the Central Government appointed 90 National Level Monitors – one each for 90 MCDs. They were appointed last year to monitor the implementation of various schemes of Ministry of Minority Affairs.
A good majority of 90 MCDs is dominated by Muslims – India’s largest religious minority. The community has always complained about the biased attitude of officers when it comes to implementation of good sounding and well-funded government schemes for welfare of the community. The complaints poured in again when some years back Congress-led UPA Government came up with MsDP – a flagship minority welfare scheme worth billions of rupees for districts dominated by minorities. Acting on the complaints, the government did a noble job – appointed Monitors. But what has disappointed the Muslim community is the fact that very few Muslim officers were appointed as Monitors.
There are only 7 Muslims among 90 Monitors. Of 22 states/Union Territories covering 90 MCDs, 16 including Bihar, Assam and Kerala have no Muslim Monitor while five others have just one each. Not only Karnataka (9 MCDs), Maharashtra (5 MCDs), Mizoram (1 MCD) and Tamil Nadu (2 MCDs) have one Muslim Monitor each, even the largest state of the country Uttar Pradesh (which has largest number of MCDs – 23) has just one Muslim Monitor. Only West Bengal, which has 11 MCDs, has two Muslim Monitors.
State—————No. of MCDs—-Muslim Monitor
Arunachal Pradesh——–1———————-0
Assam——————–5———————-0
Bihar——————–7———————-0
Chandigarh—————1———————-0
Delhi——————–1———————-0
Gujarat——————2———————-0
Haryana——————2———————-0
Himachal Pradesh———1———————-0
J&K———————-1———————-0
Jharkhand—————-4———————-0
Karnataka—————-9————-Showkath Mohemed (for Davangere district)
Kerala——————-2———————-0
Madhya Pradesh———–3———————-0
Maharashtra————–5————-Masroor Husain Quazi(for Parbhani district)
Meghalaya—————-1———————-0
Mizoram——————1————–Mohammad Mozaharul Islam(for Lawngtlai district)
Orissa——————-1———————-0
Rajasthan—————-4———————-0
Tamil Nadu—————2—————Basheerkutty Abdulrahimankunju (for DindiGul district)
Uttar Pradesh————23————–Mohammad Kamal Kazim (for Bahraich district)
Uttarakhand————–3———————-0
West Bengal————-11—————Mirza Javaid Saqib Kizilbash (Maldah), Razi Ahmed (Nadia)
List of Monitors with contact and visit details (http://www.npcindia.org/NLM_Details.pdf)
Thus, one can argue that the result of ‘monitoring’ by the Monitors has not been much enthusiastic. There are official figures to support the thinking.
According to the Financial Progress Report of 90 MCDs, the percentage of expenditure (till 31st Dec. 2010) out of total amount released by the Ministry of Minority Affairs is 40.07%. The ministry data says that out of 20 states/UTs only 3 spent more than 50% of the central share: West Bengal (57.87%), Orissa (86.40%) and Madhya Pradesh (86.40%).
Financial Progress Report for period ending 31.12.2010 (Rs. in Lakh)
Total cost of projects approved for all the MCDs: 305697.54
Total central share committed: 283106.53
Total amount released by Ministry of Minority Affairs: 180844.58
Total State share released to districts: 2547.55
Total expenditure: 72461.54
Percentage Expenditure out of Total amount released by the Ministry: 40.07%
Click the link for state-wise details
http://minorityaffairs.gov.in/newsite/schemes/multisector/DMU_financial.pdf