The Centre for Equity Studies had made damning disclosures about minority welfare schemes in its report released few months back. The UPA government on Monday said that the report was prepared without consultation with the Ministry of Minority Affairs and it had serious factual inaccuracies.
Defending the government, Minister of State for Minority Affairs Vincent H. Pala, said in the Rajya Sabha, Upper House that the said Report had stated that the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) and Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) are not included in the 15 Point Programme while in fact they are included in the programme. It has also stated that the Ministry of Minority Affairs has a small programme for scholarship for Muslim girls and the number covered are minuscule, while in fact out of a total of 78.68 lakh scholarships for the minority communities, 38.45 lakh scholarships have been awarded to girls which represents 49% of the total scholarships awarded by the Ministry.
Pala also defended the meagre budget allotted to the Minority ministry saying that “ the allocation for the Ministry of Minority Affairs for 11th Five Year Plan is Rs.7,000 crore and considering that this is the first Five Year Plan for the Ministry, the allocation cannot be considered as token”. On a written reply, he informed the Rajya Sabha, that the Ministry of Minority Affairs had launched the New 15 Point Programme for the Welfare of Minorities in 2006.The Programme has been formulated in a manner so that it provides for earmarking up to 15 per cent of the total annual allocation of each Ministry/Department concerned in important schemes which affect the social, educational and economic status of the minorities. It has also been possible to enforce earmarking in eight schemes under the programme.
He further said that other schemes of targeted interventions on minority concentration districts, towns/cities having substantial minority population has also been made effective. All these supplement the schemes meant exclusively for minorities implemented by the Ministry of Minority Affairs.
For ensuring effective implementation, the Prime Minister’s New 15 Point Programme for the Welfare of Minorities, which also covers the schemes and programmes of the Ministry of Minority Affairs, is monitored closely and the progress of implementation is reviewed on quarterly basis in the Ministry, and on half-yearly basis by a Committee of Secretaries and then at the highest level in the Government, the Minister added.
It is to be recalled that Harsh Mander –led Centre for Equity Studies in its report said Muslim minority is not getting due benefits from the centrally-sponsored schemes meant for minority welfare. Charging the government of timidity in devising the Muslim-centric schemes, it has suggested of making sub-plan for the Muslim community on the pattern of SC and ST.