By MNS Qadri
AHMEDABAD–Ahmedabad-based Minority Coordination Committee (MCC) has come out strongly against the huge reduction suggested by the Central Government in different schemes meant for the welfare and upliftment of the minorities. The government should allocate Rs 1 lakh crore for various schemes run by the Ministry of Minority Affairs.
Describing the 2022-23 budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on February 1 as “discriminatory” and “disappointing”, Mujahid Nafees, convener of the MCC, in a statement, had demanded that at least Rs One lakh crore should be allocated to the Ministry of Minority Affairs. “This amount is necessary taking into account the population of the minority society and should be allocated as a special provision to bring up the backward society,” Nafees demands.
Citing figures from the budget, he says, the finance minister allocated just 0.23% of the total budget for minorities accounting for 19.3 percent of the population. This year’s budget is Rs 22,04,422 crores which is an increase of about 23% compared to last year. But at the same time, the Ministry of Minority Affairs budget is only Rs 5020.50 crores, approximately 0.23 percent of the total budget.
In this budget, the Ministry of Minority Affairs budget has been increased by only 4%. In the last year, 2021-22, the Ministry of Minority Affairs budget was Rs 4810.77 crore, and for 2022-23, Rs 5020.50 crore has been proposed.
“Rs 209.73 crore has been increased from last year, which is very less compared to the total increase,” he says, listing out the different reductions suggested by the finance minister in important schemes.
The FM has recommended a reduction of Rs8.58 crore in the budget of the special program for minorities, Rs 1 crore reduction in the budget of Qaumi Waqf Board Progressive Scheme, Rs 41 crore reduction in Skill Development Initiative Scheme, Rs 41 crore reduction in Nai Manzil Scheme and Rs5.50 crore in the leadership development of minority women scheme.
The budget of the Maulana Azad Foundation has been abolished altogether, and a provision of only Rs One lakh has been made.
Similarly, there is a reduction of Rs 14 crores in the educational scheme for minorities and madrasas.
Similar is the story for several other schemes like the Maulana Azad National Fellowship Scheme, Interest Subsidy Scheme of Education Loan, Preparation Scheme for Competitive Examinations, Scheme for preparation of UPSC and other competitive examinations, Research under a special program for minorities, Scheme to save cultural heritage.
“This shows that the government is discriminating against the minorities,” Mujahid Nafees says.
He adds: “The government does not want the minority society of India to grow on the path of development.”
