By TCN Staff Reporter,
New Delhi: Muslim Members of Parliament on Tuesday met Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh seeking his intervention to ensure comprehensive planning for minority development in the 12th Five Year Plan period (2012-2017). Cutting across party affiliation the MPs from Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha demanded inclusion of 21 more ministries under the ambit of Prime Minister’s 15-Point Program.
While endorsing the Planning Commissions’ Steering Committee Report on “Empowerment of Minorities”, Muslim MPs sought PM’s intervention to make it more comprehensive and pragmatic in post Sachar and Raganath Misra era findings.
While appreciating the “Inclusive Planning” methodology adopted by the Planning Commission and specifically the Steering Committees’ vision on Minorities, they said the Steering Committee Report lacks comprehensiveness and has some design problems.
After analyzing the 105 Working Group Reports and 9 Steering Committee Reports out of ‘136’ Working Groups and ‘29’ steering committee Reports and other Government documents, it was found that the overall Human development indicators with regard to Muslim Minorities appears to be worse than SCs specifically in the areas of Child labour, Education, Health and Employment.
“There is a momentous need to expand the ambit of PM’s 15-Point Program and the Multi-sectoral Development Program (MsDP) to meet the objective beyond the proposals of Steering Committee. The concept of ‘Inclusiveness’ with regard to ‘Muslim Minorities’ hides behind ‘Minority’ and deprived them to be part of growth in action,” said the MPs in the memorandum submitted to the PM.
They reiterated their demand of proportionate share of funds from 27 Ministries / Departments mentioned below in the ambit of PM’s 15-Point Program and constitution of “Inter-Ministerial Task Force” to monitor implementation.
Ministries/Department to be brought under the ambit of PM’s 15-Point Program
1 Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperation
2 Ministry of Health
3 Ministry of Women and Child Development
4 Ministry of Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation
5 Ministry of Human Resources and Development
6 Ministry of Labour & Employment
7 Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises
8 Ministry of New and Renewable Energy
9 Ministry of Panchayati Raj
10 Ministry of Rural Development
11 Ministry of Textiles
12 Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports
13 Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
14 Ministry of Information and Technology
15 Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises
16 Ministry of Tribal Affairs
17 Ministry of Civil Aviation
18 Ministry of Culture
19 Ministry of Corporate Affairs
20 Ministry of personnel, public grievance and pensions
21 Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises
22 Ministry of Food & Public Distribution
23 Ministry of Defense
24 Ministry of Home Affairs
25 Ministry of External affairs
26 Ministry of Planning
27 Ministry of Finances
Only six of them, presently, are under the ambit of PM’s 15-Point Program. They are:
1 Ministry of Rural Development
2 Ministry of Rural Development
3 Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation
4 Ministry of Labour and Employment
5 Ministry of Women and Child Development
6 Ministry of Finance
Establishment of Standing Committee for Minorities
To overcome the design problems in the Steering Committee Report, the MPs said the allocation for Minorities in 12th Plan period should reflect the promised proportionate allocation unlike the previous plan period. The productive age work force of the Muslim Minorities needs to be equipped with employable Skills to meet millennium goals. Adequate Employment of Muslim Minorities in governance through different Ministries by imparting proper training should also be a part Programmes and Schemes.
The MPs demanded setting up of Standing Committee for Minorities for effective results.
The Muslim MPs made elaborate suggestions to reform in PM’s 15-Point Program, MsDP and scholarship and other educational facilities.
Reform in PM’s New 15 Point Programme
Expansion of coverage of the programmes including Ministries / Department mentioned in Annexure I
It is not just 15 % earmarking of funds, it should be done in proportion with the minority population by ministries and departments.
Funds should be kept in a separate minor head of account. Further, similar to the Statements for Children, Women, SCs and STs, a separate budget statement to be brought out in the Union Budget on schemes related to minorities.
To assess the impact, data on achievements of the programme on minorities should be reported in a disaggregated form, i.e. religious group-wise.
Need for vigilance / monitoring committees along with inclusion of the representation of minority community, NGOs, Panchayats and activists.
Revision in Multi Sectoral Development Plan (MsDP) Guideline
1. Selection of Minority Concentrated Blocks (MCBs) with 15 % of the minority population for planning purposes and it is recommended that the unit of implementation be the ward of Gram Panchayats / Town with Muslim Minority Concentration to focus development and to restrict diversions.
2. Revision in the MSDP guidelines and doing away of programmes which are topping up the existing CSSs in 15 PP. There is no scope for tailormade projects in MSDP due to rigid guidelines of CSSs.
3. It should be need-based (livelihood support, electrification, skill-based education and training, handloom and handicraft) rather than putting CSSs like IAY, ICDS, PHC (NRHM) and additional classroom (SSA).
4. Inclusion of MSDP and 15 PP in district plan.
5. Provision of social audit in MSDP and 15 PP in district plan.
Universal Access to Scholarships and Other Educational Facilities
1. Need for adequate resources, simplification of procedures and universal access. There has been a very limited access to scholarship schemes by Muslims due to several procedural bottlenecks.
2. Unit cost of scholarships, norms and eligibility criteria to be made similar to other ministries implementing programmes catering to the welfare of SCs and STs.
3. NGOs and institutions working in the sector may be encouraged to act as facilitators to generate the demand among the community.
4. Appointment of Urdu teachers in the schools in Urdu speaking areas as per the provision of RTE Act 2009.
5. Opening schools in the lines of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya in every Minority Concentrated Block with 50 % reservation in the admission of children from minority community.