Centre earmarks Rs 3,500 cr

Expressbuzz, March 29, 2010
BHUBANESWAR: The Centre has already earmarked Rs 3,500 crores for welfare of the minorities across the nation in 90 districts.


While the most minority-dominated district like Murshidabad would get Rs 118 crore, districts which are least backward or with less minority population would get Rs 15 crore each.

Also for the educational needs of the minority students there are 30 lakh scholarships from which 40-45 per cent are reserved for girl students, said Union Minority Welfare and Corporate Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid here today.

Scholarships will be provided to students from pre-primary to even degree students of technical institutions. Even 70 institutions like IITs, IIMs and medical colleges have been chosen where all minority girl students will get full scholarships for their education, he said adding even girls intending to become pilots and join Indian Civil Service cadres can take the benefit of free coaching.

Speaking at the second day function of the public information campaign on Bharat Nirman here today, the Minister said even to educate more women and provide them leadership funds could be made available from Maulana Azad Foundation. For modernisation of madrasa education, teachers in subjects like physics, chemistry and other disciplines are required and the HRD Ministry will help the institutions on these issues.

However, he said that with so many welfare programmes around, success stories are not reaching the people in their local language.

There should not be any tussle but collaborations between the Centre and State Governments so far as the welfare measures are concerned, he said and hinted at an Equal Opportunity Commission in future to take cases of those who think they are left out.

Speaking on Maoists activity in the State, he said as the groups are not getting the right message, we must try hard to change their hearts to bring them to the mainstream.

On Women Reservation Bill he said the reservation should be 50 per cent, but now with 33 per cent they can have their say and later could devise a way to get their due share.

Secretary, Ministry of Corporate Affairs R. Bandopadhaya said with more emphasis on corporate governance and corporate social responsibility programmes Orissa can benefit much from industrialisation.

Most of the speakers wanted district and regional level events like the Bharat Nirman campaign in Orissa.

Chemicals and Fertilisers Minister Srikant Jena, OPCC president KP Singhdeo, Kalahandi MP Bhakta Charan Das, State Minority Cell chairman Abdul Bari and Director Press Information Bureau S. Venketaswar spoke.