Cong to launch protest for Sachhar recommendation

Kolkata, Mar 04: West Bengal Pradesh Congress will soon launch astatewide agitation to press for the implementation of the RajendraSachhar Committee recommendations for all round development of theminority communities in the state.

Announcing the party's agitational programme, WBPCC generalsecretary and Congress Legislative Party leader in the Assembly ManasBhunia here today squarly blamed the ruling Left Front for doing"almost nothing" for the socio-economic uplift of the minorities,particularly the Muslims, in the state during its 3O years of rule.

Describing the conditions of the Muslim community in the state as"miserable" by all standards, Dr Bhunia quoting from the eight memberSachhar Committee recommendations, claimed that even in terms ofopening of accounts in public sector banks the Muslims were highlyneglected in the state.

Of the total about 47 crores bank accounts in West Bengal, onlyfive per cent belonged to the Muslims, Dr Bhunia alleged. Similarly interms of providing government jobs, only 2.1 per cent Muslims in thestate were beneficiaries he said and denied the state government'sclaim about resounding success in terms of distribution of 'Khas' landamong the members of the Muslim community.

"We will bring to the fore all these disparities and create apublic opinition against it", Dr Bhunia observed and said theiragitation at the block level would be focussed primarily on Muslimdominated Indo-Bangladesh bordering districts like Malda, Nadia, Northand South 24 Parganas and Murshidabad.

Chairman of the Committee on the Socio Economic Development of theMinorities, Rajendra Sachhar, has submitted its report with 27 pointrecommendations to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in January this yearcalling for all round development of the minority communities in thecountry.

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