Minorities' social security gets boost in Union Budget

New Delhi, Feb 27 (UNI) The Minority Affairs Ministry has been given a substantially increased amount for its various schemes and programmes in the Union Budget for 2007-08.

Social security has got a special attention from Finance Minister P Chidambaram. The allocation for the sector has gone up by about four times in this year's Budget. The sector has got Rs 512.83 crore as compared to Rs 143 crore last year.

The allocation for the welfare of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes has been more than doubled--from Rs 112.60 crore to Rs 392 crore in the Budget.

The National Minorities Development and Finance Corporation has been given an amount about more than four times of the previous year's.

In his Budget speech, Mr Chidambaram said in view of the government's commitment to implement the Sachar Committee report, the Corporation would be required to expand its reach and intensify its efforts, so a further sum of Rs 63 crore was being added to the equity of the corporation.

The total Central sector Plan outlay has been enhanced from Rs 130 crore to Rs 500 crore.

He said the budget also made a provision of Rs 108 crore for multi-sectoral development programmes in the district with a concentration of minorities.

Besides Rs 72 crore, Rs 90 crore and Rs 48 crore have been allocated for pre-matric scholarships, post-matric scholarships and Merit-cum-means scholarships at graduate and post-graduate level respectively.

UNI