UP seeks Rs 7000 crore from Centre for minority welfare

Lucknow, Sep 25 (UNI) The Uttar Pradesh government has sent a project report to the Centre seeking financial assistance to the tune of Rs 7000 crore towards various schemes for minority welfare in the state.

The minority population which comprised of over 19 per cent of the total population of UP, has been economically a weaker lot hence the comprehensive packagae is being demanded from the Centre.

The package of Rs 7000 crore is part of the Rs 80,000 crore package demanded by the Mayawati government from the Central government towards overall development of the state.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has already assured the UP chief minister about the package, official sources told UNI here.

The minority package prepared by Minority Welfare and Wakf Department of the state government has listed 14 projects which are to be funded.

Out of this total amount, Rs 2870 crore had been specified for Bundelkhand and Eastern region of UP, considered to be one of the most backward areas of the state.

As breakup for the scheme, Rs 1541 crore has been asked towards Term Loan Scheme to provide financial assistance to the minority community, to encourage and develop their skill associated with their traditional artisanship like chickan and embroidery, brassware and wood-work.

Various self-financing employment schemes, coaching for deserving students, pre-selection preparatory schemes for the recruitment in police, PAC and paramilitary and grant for higher education and professional courses have been incorporated in the detailed project report sent to the Centre for perusal.

Several schemes have been prepared for different type of vocational, technical and professional facilities in madrasas, while grant for Urdu correspondence course had also been sought under the comprehensive project, Dr Shuaib Ahmad, the Registrar of Madarsas told UNI here.

He said hundreds of madarsas in the state required additional classrooms, computer facilities and basic amneties like drinking water but for the lack of funds. The lot of this could well be improved if the Centre sanctioned the money sought for this purpose.

The package also included the demand of Rs 155 crore for selective 30 madarsas which are proposed to establish Tibbya College to provide Unani Medical education and over 21000 students are targeted beneficiaries of this scheme.

According to Dr Shuaib, as many as three lakh students were likley to be benefitted if the proposal to set up Mini ITI scehmes in 500 madarsas of the state is implemented. It would help provide them with technical skills in different areas.

UNI