Congress to protest over minorities budget slash

Nampally: The Congress party has condemned the TRS government for slashing the budget for minorities welfare by over 30% and described the move as a conspiracy to deprive minorities of education and economic empowerment.

Addressing the media at Gandhi Bhavan on Wednesday, TPCC Minorities Department Chairman Shaik Abdullah Sohail said the budget for minorities welfare was slashed from Rs 1,884.43 crore in 2018-19 to Rs 1,314.50 crore in 2019-20 – a drastic reduction of nearly 30.24%.

"A closer look at department-wise cuts clearly show a pattern wherein TRS government targeted education and economic uplift of minorities, especially Muslims. Of 30 heads of departments/schemes under minorities welfare, budget has been reduced by more than 50% for 17 schemes/HoDs," he said.

Furnishing the complete department-wise break-up, Sohail said the budget was cut by 100% for 3 HoDs, more than 90% for 2; more than 80% for 7; more than than 70% for 1 and more than 60% for 4 HoDs.

The Congress leader alleged that not a single rupee loan was given to minorities in the first term of TRS government, although some allocations were made under subsidy for bank linked income generated schemes head. More than 1.5 lakh jobless minority youth had applied for loans in 2015-16, but no one got any assistance. Last year Rs 160 crore was allocated, but nothing was spent. This year this allocation was slashed to Rs. 28.31 crore by enforcing a cut of 82%.

Similarly, he said that T-Prime and T-SEZ schemes remained non-starters. Last year, Rs 25 crore was allocated, but not a single rupee was released. This year the amount was reduced to zero. He slammed the state government for huge reduction in budget for Telangana Christian Minorities Finance Corporation.

Sohail also dared the MIM to sever its ties with TRS for the drastic cut in budget for minorities welfare. He warned that the Congress party would launch a state-wise agitation against the cut in the budget for minorities' welfare.