Govt identifies minority concentration districts; highest in UP

New Delhi, Jun 22 (UNI) A list of 90 Minority Concentration Districts (MCDs) in the country has been prepared by the Ministry of Minority on the basis of the 2001 census data on population, socio-economic indicators and basic amenities indicators.

The Government would prepare and implement area and problem specific special development plans for these 90 districts.

It would also ensure that the benefit of programmes for poverty alleviation, education, health and provision of basic amenities etc, reach these districts in a focussed manner.

All ministries or Departments concerned with such programmes are being advised suitably.

These districts are backward with unacceptably low levels of either socio-economic indicators, amenities indicators or both and they are in urgent need of focussed attention.

In 1987, a list of 41 Minority Concentration Districts was prepared based on the data of census 1971. A single criterion of minority population in a district was applied for an identification of such districts.

The largest number of districts are in Uttar Pradesh followed by West Bengal. Bihar, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Maharashtra also have a large number of such backward districts with minority concentration.

UNI