No diversion of funds meant for Minorities, officials told

Secretariat (Velagapudi): The budget allocated for the Minorities should be spent for the welfare of the minorities only without any diversion to other schemes, said member of the National Commission for Minorities Syed Shaheza-di. She presided over the state-level meeting on the implementation of Prime Minister 15-point pro-gramme for the welfare of the Minorities conducted here on Tuesday.

Addressing the meeting, Shahezadi said that the Central government is implementing prime minister 15-point programme for the welfare of the Minorities and it should be implemented in the state in its true spirit.

She instructed the line department officials to encourage the minorities to start MSMEs to improve their financial condition.

Expressing concern over the number of child labourers among the Minorities, she instructed the officials to undertake awareness programmes with the help of ASHA and health workers. She also said that the buildings for schools, colleges, hospitals and welfare hospitals undertaken under Prime Minister Jan Vi-kas programme should be completed in time.

Pointing out that the Prime Minister 15-point programmes are aimed at improving education facilities to the minorities and equal opportunities in employment and also improving their living conditions, she said officials should take precautions to prevent communal clashes. The ICDS services should also be made available to the Minorities.

Shahezadi said that school education should be made available to the minority children and education in Madarasas should be modernised. Scholarships should be provided to the talented minority students and educational infrastructure should be improved with the help of Maulana Azad Education Founda-tion. The poor among the minorities should be provided opportunities for self-employment.

The minority youth should be given necessary training to allow them to compete in the recruitments to the state and Central services, she added.