Govt. not serious about making block as unit of minority welfare planning

By TCN Staff Reporter,

New Delhi: Despite presentations from various civil groups besides a sub-committee of the Planning Commission itself, the central government-led by Congress does not look serious about making block in place of district as the unit of minority welfare planning. The groups had made the demand in view of the fact that benefits of Multi-sectoral Development Program (MsDP) being implemented in Minority Concentration Districts (MCDs) are not reaching the minority areas and projects are being diverted to other areas in the districts.

The Working Group on ‘Empowerment of Minorities’ was constituted by the Planning Commission for the formulation of 12th Five Year Plan. That group has already suggested that the unit of planning should be Block having 25% minority population during the 12th Plan, in place of district as current unit.

But it seems the government is not much serious about the proposal and in its place, it is going to lower down 25% minority population requirement for an MCD to 15% to include more districts under the MsDP program. It is little bothered that this will hardly help and the problem of projects being diverted to non-minority areas in a district will remain.

“The Working Group on ‘Empowerment of Minorities’ constituted by the Planning Commission for the formulation of 12th Five Year Plan, has suggested that the unit of planning should be Block having 25% minority population during the 12th Plan. If for any reason (say lack of data), this could not be possible, then population criterion to identify Minority Concentration Districts (MCDs) should be brought down from 25% to 15%,” said Vincent H. Pala, Minister of State for Minority Affairs while responding to a question in the Lok Sabha on 9th August 2012.

Why is the minister presenting ‘lack of data’ as an excuse to not make block as unit of planning when the government has in its possession the required data based on Census 2001? The ministry of minority affairs has on its website a list of blocks across the country which have 25% or above minority population. That list is on the basis of Census 2001. It is possible that similar list may not be prepared on the basis of population statistics of Census 2011 so soon, but the government can use the Census 2001 data and the already prepared list of blocks for the purpose if only it is willing.

The government is not willing to make block as unit of welfare planning in minority dominated districts is evident from what the minister said in the same statement. He said that block as unit will be made in those states where national minorities are in majority.

“In case of six States where minority community is in majority, a lower cut off of 15% minority population in the block, other than that of minority community in majority in that State/UT, is proposed to be adopted,” said the minister.

It means in Jammu and Kashmir for example, which is dominated by Muslims (who are minority nationally), blocks having 15% population of non-Muslims will be declared as minority concentration block. And similar will happen in five other states dominated by minorities.