December 18, 2015
Sudip Bandyopadhyay raises demand for funds for minority development
Minorities in West Bengal form 28.1% of the total population, which roughly amounts to 2.57 crore. The present State government has increased the budgetary support for development of minorities fivefold from Rs 472 crore in 2010-11 to Rs 2383 crore during the current fiscal year.
We met honourable union minority affairs minister Najma Heptullah ji at her residence few days back with a delegation. We discussed several issues in details
1. Scholarships: During 2014-15, the Ministry approved 20 lakh applications. During 2015-16, a record 28.45 lakh students have applied for various scholarships.
MoMA is requested to sanction all the applications under different scholarship schemes for the current year.
2. MSDP (Multi- Sectoral Development Programme): During 2015-16, less than Rs 100 crore (Central share) has been released against proposals worth Rs 415 crore. It is requested that the balance may be released for smooth running of the scheme.
3. Clusters of Minority Concentrated Areas Outside MCBs: Proposals for approval of Minority Clusters under MSDP are still pending. Approval may be expedited.
4. Cybergram: The State has requested MoMA to sanction funds under this scheme of digital literacy in 372 uncovered madrasahs. So far, MoMA has sanctioned only 243 madrasahs out of 615 Government aided madrasahs. The balance may be releases as per the proposal.
5. Skill Development Schemes: The State Government has undertaken a project of Skill Development Programme with a project cost of Rs 86.46 Crore under MSDP. As per the decision adopted in the 89th Meeting of the Empowered Committee. Rs 6.02 crore administrative cost, sanctioned for this purpose, has not yet been released by the Ministry. This requires to be looked into.
Sir, as one of the States with largest minority population in the country – Bengal has the third largest minority population after Jammu and Kashmir and Assam – I would appeal to the Central government extend full cooperation to the state government in the development of minorities.
