Minorities will get equal share in development schemes: KCR

Hyderabad : Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao said that the minorities’ development and welfare was among the of top priority programmes being implemented by the Telangana Government.

The Chief Minister asked the officials concerned to work with more dedication for the Minorities, who are like the SC and STs, living in poverty. He wanted minorities to be beneficiaries of the all the development schemes that the government has initiated. He wanted for the self-employment of the minority youth, subsidy to the units worth Rs one lakh to Rs 2.5 Lakh should be given without having any link with the banks. The CM said that minorities should have 10 percent quota in the Double Bed Room houses. He wanted necessary measures to be taken to strengthen the Minority development Corporation, Urdu Academy and the Wakf Board.

The Chief Minister held a high-level review meeting on the Minority welfare at Pragati Bhavan here on Monday. Deputy CM Mahamood Ali, Ministers K Tarakarama Rao, Etela Rajender, MIM President Asaduddin Owaisi, MIM floor leader Akbarudddin Owaisi, Chief Secretary SP Singh, Government Advisor AK Khan, Principal secretary (Finance) Ramakrishna Rao, Principal Secretary (Municipal) Navin Mittal, Secretary (Minorities) Syed Omar Jaleel, GHMC Commissioner Janardhan Reddy, HMDA Commissioner Dana Kishore, Hyderabad Collector Yogita Rana, CMP Special Secretary Bhoopal Reddy and others participated. A review took place on the programme, schemes and projects being implemented for the minorities and measures to be taken in future.

“Minorities in large numbers in the State like the SCs and STs. Muslims are in majority among the other minorities. There is abject poverty among the minorities like in the SCs and STs. During the separate statehood movement on several occasions I told that once the Telangana state is formed, there would be light in the lives of minorities. After the formation of the state, the government has given top priority for the development and welfare of the minorities and we have increased the budgetary allocations. We are implementing new programmes. We should spend the funds to the minorities as we are doing for the SCs and STs. If all the communities in the Telangana state prosper there would be a comprehensive development. Even if one community lags behind it cannot be called the comprehensive development,” the Chief Minister said.

The Chief Minister said minorities should be the beneficiaries in all the government programmes under implementation. For the self-employment of the minority youth, without having any link to the bank cent percent subsidy should be given to the units having worth about Rs one to Rs 2.5 Lakh and the Collectors should monitor this.

He said action should be taken to ensure that minorities get 10 percent quota in the double bed room programme. He asked officials to prepare programmes for the minorities living in rural, semi Urban, Urban and Corporation areas as their needs differ from one another. He also directed filling up of Urdu teachers' vacancies in the minority educational institutions and get a data on the vacancies.

KCR said proper measures should be taken to strengthen the Minority Development Corporation, Urdu Academy and the Wakf Board. He said entrance tests and tests for the recruitment to government jobs should also be conducted in Urdu language along with English and Telugu. He also proposed setting up of an exclusive industrial estate and IT Corridor for the Muslims.

It was also decided to construct Hyderabad International Islamic Cultural Convention Centre in the 10 acres area in Kokapet with international standards and should commence construction works in three weeks. The Chief Minister said Charminar and its surrounding areas should be developed like the Golden Temple in Amritsar. He said parking spaces around Charminar should be created to enable tourists to spend some time at the monument.

KCR said 42 KMs stretch along the Musi River should be developed like the Sabarmati Riverfront in Gujarat. He also wanted arrangements to b e made for plying Metro and Nano Rail along the Musi riverbank. A Special Officer will be appointed to oversee the Musi River front development. Shopping complexes, parks as well as double bed room houses for the poor will also be developed.

He also released Rs. 40 crore from Special Development Fund to take up several emergency works under the Hyderabad parliament constituency.