By Mohd. Ismail Khan, TwoCircles.net,
Hyderabad: The finance minister of Andhra Pradesh, Anam Ramnarayan Reddy on Friday presented a whopping Rs 1.45 lakh crore budget for the financial year 2012-13 in the state assembly. The minorities have been given Rs 489 crore. The sum for minorities is just 0.33% of the total budget amount while minorities constitute 12.5% (only Muslims 9.5%) of the state population.
However, the amount for minorities in the current year budget is a 63% increase compared to the budget allotment of Rs 300 crore in 2011-12.
Out of the Rs 489 crore, Rs 5.5crore is for Christian minority finance corporation, Rs 25.33 crore for minority finance corporation, Rs 96 crore for state scholarships, Rs 220 crore for fees reimbursement, Rs 50 lakhs for minority welfare school for children, Rs1.25 crore for group marriages for poor, Rs 25 crore for subsidies in bank loans, Rs 5.35 crore for Urdu Academy, Rs 80 lakh for wakf board, Rs 50 lakh for wakf survey, Rs 2 crore for center for the minority education development, Rs 1 crore for Haj committee, Rs 2 crore for Urdu Ghar marriage function hall, Rs 35 crore for minorities hostels, Rs 5 crore for minorities loans scheme, and Rs 45 crore for central government scholarships.
Minority minister lauds CM for budget increase
Mr. Ahmedullah, Minister for Minorities Welfare appreciated the budget for the minorities. He lauded Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy for enhancing the minority budget to 63% for the year 2012-13. Speaking to the mediapersons outside the assembly, he said that chief minister is compassionate for the welfare of minorities as he has provided more money under students’ fees reimbursement scheme. He also said the CM has promised that, if there need be, more funds would be provided for Minorities Welfare Dept.
Dr. Mohammed Ali Rafat, Secretary of the Minorities Welfare Dept also expressed satisfaction for budget allocation for his department. He said by sending additional proposals he got the budget of his department increased to Rs. 489 crore. He also said that due to increase in budget Dept. of Minorities Welfare will be able to establish Commissioner’s office for Minorities Welfare Dept, which will facilitate the smooth functioning and quick disposal of cases. He said there is also a proposal of electronic mapping of Wakf properties. He said an amount of Rs. 13.20 crore has been allotted for the repairs of Muslim graveyards and mosques.
Budget for minorities far behind than that of SC/ST
But still the budget for minorities is far from satisfactory. There is a wide gap between the budget allotted to SCs and S.Ts and the Muslims. SCs who constitute 16.19% of state population got RS 2500 crore while STs who constitute 6.59% of population got Rs 1300 crore, and minorities which constitute 12.5% (in which Muslims are 9.5%) of state population got only Rs 489 crore, that is just 0.33% of the total budget amount. Muslims are not given even 20% of the budget allotted for the SCs, and not even 1% of the total state budget, even though the Muslims constitute 9.5% of total population of the state.
There is a lack of awareness in the Muslim community regarding their rights for financial assistance. Even after the Sachar committee made it official that Muslims are more backward than SCs, government is not taking any radical steps to reduce the inequalities and remove the backwardness of the community by financial assistance.