By TCN Special Correspondent
Ahmedabad: With the Narendra Modi government in Gujarat, not implementing centrally sponsored schemes like student scholarship for minority community students, the Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) has requested the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh to use other alternatives to ensure that minority students in Gujarat get are not deprived of the benefits of these schemes.
In a letter sent to PM, the party has suggested the central government to implement the schemes either directly or through institutions recognized by the central government, other than state government agencies, so that minorities don’t become victims of Modi government’s partisan attitude.
The party has also suggested using the services of prominent NGOs as nodal agencies for the job as one of the alternatives. The state has a strong network of NGOs operating even in interior rural areas. The Congress leaders want the central government to appoint a group of prominent non-political personalities to supervise the implementation of minority welfare schemes in the state.
According to Congress leaders, had various scholarship schemes floated by the central government in 2005, been implemented in the state, more than 57,000 Muslims students would annually have benefited. Thousands of students belonging to other minorities like Jain, Buddhist and Christian groups also don’t get benefits of the schemes because of the state government’s refusal to implement them.
Every year the state government returns central funds as it doesn’t agree to contribute 25 per cent of the fund. The minority scholarship schemes are contributory, with 75 per cent funded by the central government and the remaining 25 per cent shared by the state government.
The letter signed by GPCC president Arjun Modhwadia and Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly Shaktisinh Gohil, said that their party MLA Gayasuddin Sheikh had raised the issue in the just concluded budget session but the Modi government did not reply to his questions in the House.
The Congress leaders also urged the PM that population criteria of the scheme for infrastructure development in private aided/unaided minority institutions be reduced to 15 per cent from existing 20 per cent to enable more districts with Muslim population to get its benefits.