AP to promulgate ordinance for Muslim reservation: YSR

Hyderabad, Jun 9: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S RajasekharaReddy today said an ordinance would be promulgated within a month toprovide five per cent reservation to Muslims in education andemployment.

Participating in the distribution of computers to Deeni Madarsas(Urdu schools), organised by the state Urdu Academy here, Dr Reddy saidthe government would overcome all legal hurdles in a month forproviding reservation to the Muslims as the issue was pending in theSupreme Court.

Stating that the government was committed to the welfare ofMuslims, the Chief Minister said reservation in educationalinstitutions would be provided to Muslim students from this academicyear with the promulgation of an ordinance.

Announcing that 'Mid-day meal' scheme would be implemented inDeeni Madrasas and 'Muslim Welfare Day' will be organised on theoccasion of Abul Kalam Azad's birthday on November 11 from this year,Dr Reddy said the issues of Muslim welfare, pending before thegovernment, would be solved on the Welfare Day from village tocity-level.

Alleging that the previous NDA and Telugu Desam Party (TDP)governments had considered the madrasas as 'ISI activity centres andcommunal centres', he said the Congress government had officiallyrecognised them as service organisations working for the upliftment ofpoor students.

The government had allocated Rs 80 crore for providingscholarships to Muslim students during this year and constructed 12minority pre-matric student hostels in the state, he added.

UNI