Special development projects for Muslims in Bengal: Buddhadeb

Behrampore (WB), Feb 6 (PTI) Apparently with an eye onMuslim votes ahead of West Bengal Assembly elections, ChiefMinister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee today said the stategovernment had taken up special development projects for thecommunity.

"Muslims in West Bengal are lagging much behind others.

They have to be brought at par with the majority sections inrespect of development. If we do not do it, the state ingeneral will remain underdeveloped," the chief minister tolda rally here in Murshidabad district.

He said the state government had taken up developmentschemes worth Rs 500 crore to improve education, health anddrinking water supply to the people belonging to the minoritycommunity.

"We have taken up multi-sectoral development programmesfor Muslim-inhabited areas of the state. Besides, anganwadicentres and health sub-centres would be built in theseareas," he said after launching the projects here.

Giving away scholarships to students of the minoritycommunity, Bhattacharjee said an amount of Rs 9.4 crore hadbeen distributed as scholarships to more than 71,000 Muslim inthe state.

The state government had also distributed Rs 36 crore to35,000 Self-Help Groups of the district, he said and stressedon improving madrasa education.

"Madrasas should emphasise on modern education and thestudents there should learn English so that they can take upprofessional courses like management, engineering, medicineand computer education," he said.