Focusing in backwardness, hold pre-budget dialogue with minorities: Gujarat govt told

By A Representative
A Gujarat-based minority rights organisation has demanded that the state government hold pre-budget consultations with representatives of minorities across the state. The Minority Coordination Committee (MCC), which held a dialogue in Himmatnagar, a North Gujarat town, said that the allocation for the minorities should be in accordance with the proportion of the minorities.
Taking part in the discussion, MCC convener Mujahid Nafees said that the state has a minority population of 11.5%, of which 9.7% are Muslims, Jains 1%, Sikhs at 0.1%, Buddhists 01%, and others 0.1%. In the fiscal 2019-20, the state government reportedly set aside Rs 5.51 crore for the minorities out the total budget of Rs 1.92 lakh crore.
Pointing out that the Government of India allocated Rs 5,029 crore for the minorities, the MCC dialogue insisted that the state’s social justice and empowerment department should allocate necessary funds taking into account that there is “a lot of backwardness” among the minorities, adding, the government should organize a dialogue to in order to make concrete provisions in the state budget.

MCC decided to work out its proposal for the budget, which it proposes to hand over to the government as also political parties. The state government proposes to present its annual budget for 2020-21 on February 26.
Those who took part in the dialogue included Abdul Wahab Ansari, Nisarbhai, Janabhai Lakdiwala, Imran Badshah, Iqbal Malek, Kalubhai Sheikh, Sultan Mansuri, Aslambhai Modasia, Abdul Padiar, Rafibhai Ansari, Aftab Ansari, Sikandar Sumra, Salimbhai Kanva, Hamid Baloch, Juned Memon, Jehangir Sheikh, Imran Aljiwala, others.

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