KCR Govt to implement Rs 1 lakh assistance scheme to minorities, says Harish Rao

HYDERABAD: A financial assistance scheme meant for minority communities is under the consideration of Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR), disclosed Finance Minister T Harish Rao while addressing a minority meeting at Jalavihar on Thursday.

“KCR has immense respect for minorities. Honouring the age-old ‘Ganga-Jamuna Tehzeeb’ (tradition), he made Mohammed Mahmood Ali, Home Minister of the State, twice,” Harish said. He said that the ‘Shadi Mubarak’ scheme for Muslims was a replica of ‘Kalyana Lakshmi’ implemented for the Hindus.

Very soon the Chief Minister would announce another scheme for the financial upliftment of minorities, especially Muslim brothers, he added. Criticising the Congress party for ignoring the real development of Muslims, he said that the grand old party always considered Muslims as a vote bank and nothing else.

He informed that the Telangana Government had allocated Rs 2,200 crore for minority welfare in the current fiscal year. “The total budgetary allocation for minorities by the erstwhile Congress Governments was lesser than this,” Harish pointed out.

Expressing happiness over more and more minority students in the State joining professional courses, he said that students in minority residential schools were given the option for either English or Urdu mediums.

“KCR responded and sanctioned funds for the pilot training of minority girl Syeda Salva Fatima. Now she earns Rs 5 lakh per month,” Harish said stressing the need for educating the girl child. He said that Telangana was the only State in India where a huge number of girls from minority communities were educated.

Enlisting other schemes meant for the development of Muslim minorities in the State, the Minister reminded the community that it was KCR who asked for the conduction of NEET in Urdu medium. He said that minority students could avail of a loan of Rs 20 lakh for overseas education.

Ramzan gifts, Dawat-e-Iftar, guest house for pilgrims from Telangana in Ajmer for Rs 5 crore were some of the initiatives taken by the Telangana Government, he said.