Jagan stresses on minorities education

Guntur: Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy said that education serves the Muslim community well to achieve better living standards and excel in the competitive world.

Participating in the Minority Welfare Day and National Education Day celebrations held at Sri Venkateswara Vignan Mandiram here on Friday marking the 135th birth anniversary of India's first education minister Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, the Chief Minister said that the government has laid special focus on education sector and made Class 10 mandatory for Shadi Tohfa scheme.

He was referring to the appeal made for exempting Class X certificate for Muslims to avail Thohfa scheme. "If the provision of Class X certificate was exempted for the scheme, there would be a set back. My intention is that Muslim students should study and compete with the world," he said.

Recalling the services of the country's first education minister, Jagan Mohan Reddy said that Azad's services are laudable. Former chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy was the first person to provide reservations for Muslims.

"If Rajasekhara Reddy took one step forward for the welfare of minorities, I will take two steps forward. I am proud to be the son of a great leader. We have given the post of Deputy Chief Minister to a minority candidate and made four persons MLCs. The post of Deputy Chairman of the Legislative Council post was allotted to a minority woman," he said.

Speaking of welfare activities taken by the government, the Chief Minister said that Rs 10,309 crore was given to the minorities through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) in the last three years while another Rs 10,000 crore was also given to the minorities through non-DBT.

During his tenure, former chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu had given Rs 2,665 crore to the minorities in five years. Within three years, the government has given over Rs 20,000 crores for the welfare of the minorities.

Referring to the protection of alienated Waqf properties in the state, the CM said that measures are being taken for protection of Waqf properties in the state and so far 580 acre alienated land out of total 65,783 acre was restored to the Waqf Board.

All details of Waqf properties are being digitised to protect the them. Differential Global Positioning Survey was conducted for 3,072 properties to protect them with fencing.

On the occasion, the Chief Minister felicitated persons who strived for the development of education sector and Urdu language with cash awards and mementos. Deputy Chief Minister Amzath Basha, Guntur East MLA Mustafa and others were present.