AP scholarships for Muslim students

Hyderabad, Feb 20 (UNI) The Andhra Pradesh Government will provide scholarships to eligible Muslim students in the state to pursue higher education, Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy said today.

Addressing the Muslim community students during a function here, he said out of the budgetary allocation of Rs 177 crore for minority welfare for 2008-09, Rs 125 crore was earmarked for providing scholarships as against Rs 90 crore alloted for the current fiscal.

Education was very important for their upliftment, he observed.

Dr Reddy distributed scholarship amount of Rs 2.82 crore to 24,619 Pre-Matric and Post-Matric students in Hyderabad district.

The government had decided to provide scholarships worth Rs 5.92 crore to 50,764 students in Hyderabad district alone in 2007-08.

Energy and Minority Welfare Minister Mohd Ali Shabbir, who was present at the occasion, said the state government had sanctioned Rs five crore for performing mass marriage for poor Muslim girls.

Member of Parliament (AIMIM) Asadudin Owaisi, who was also present, urged the government to increase the budgetary allocation for minority welfare to Rs 200 crore.

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