The Minority Coordination Committee (MCC), a Gujarat-based rights group, has noted that the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has made an allocation of a meagre 0.23% to the Ministry of Minority Affairs in the Union budget 2022-23, which shows the Modi government is not interested in overcoming the backwardness from which the minorities suffer.
Pointing out that minorities constitute 19.3% of the population, it has demanded the Central government allocate 1 lakh crore, adding, the poor allocation comes even as this year's budget, Rs 22,04,422 crore, is an increase to the tune of 23% as compared to the last year. Of this, the budget of the Ministry of Minority Affairs is only Rs 5,020.50 crore, which is an increase of only 4% over the 2021-22 budget.
Stating that the Central government has reduced the budget of important schemes, MCC said, there is a Rs 8.58 crore reduction in the budget of special programme for minorities, Rs 1 crore reduction in the budget of the Qaumi Waqf Board Progressive Scheme, Rs 41 crore reduction in the Nai Manzil Scheme, and there a shortfall of Rs 5.50 crore in the leadership development of minority women scheme.
It said, the budget of the Maulana Azad Foundation has been virtually abolished and a provision of only Rs 1 lakh has been made for it, there is a reduction of Rs 14 crore in the educational scheme for minorities and madrasas, there is a Rs 41.67 crore shortfall for social security, and a reduction of Rs 41 crore in skill development, on which the government has been emphasising.
At the same time, MCC convener Mujahid Nafees said, there is no increase in Interest Subsidy Scheme of Education Loan, Preparation Scheme for Competitive Examination, Scheme for preparation of UPSC and other Competitive Examinations, Research under Special Programme for Minorities, Scheme to Save Cultural Heritage.
“This shows that the government is discriminating against the minority society, and it does not want the minorities in India to grow on the path of development”, he added.
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