Minority cell seeks Rs 100 cr budgetary allocation

Udupi, Mar 12 (UNI) The Karnataka State Minority Development Corporation has sought Rs 100 crore fund allocation in the coming State budget, its Chairman Anwar Manipaddy said today.

Addressing a press conference here, he said the Corporation had received Rs 48 crore this year, which was seven to eight times more than the previous year. Besides, Deputy Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa had released a grant of Rs five crore to the Corporation. Of the total grant released this year, the Corporation had spent Rs 37 crore for various development schemes such as 'Swavalamban', 'Arivu' (Education), 'Shramshakti' and 'Ganga Kalyan' and the remaining grnat would be disbursed by the month-end, he added.

Mr Manipaddy warned that the Corporation had decided to take stern action against any middlemen or officials coming between the beneficiaries and the Corporation.

He said the Corporation was making efforts to tie up with four or five public sector banks for providing loans to minorities. It had also planned to construct about 5,000 toilets at a cost of Rs 5,000 each (Rs 1,000 subsidy and rest interest-free loan) for poor families of minority communities in the State in the coming year.

The Corporation had submitted a proposal to the State Government for setting up a permanent coordination committee at the taluk level to maintain peace and communal harmony and sought adequate funds from the Government for the committees, he added.

UNI