Muslim MPs seek PM's personal intervention to solve community problems

New Delhi: A delegation of Muslim Members of Parliament beyond political affiliation led by K. Rahman Khan, Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha, met Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh on Monday and apprised him about the unchanged situation of Indian Muslims after 5 years of Sachar report and also the ineffective implementation of the schemes started by the government for the betterment of the minority especially Muslims. They sought PM's personal intervention to solve the problems of the community.

They expressed serious concerns over policy interventions in addressing Muslim backwardness for 12th Plan period. "The 12th Plan Approach paper in general envisaged more Inclusive Planning but we could not figure out any specific Plan intervention to address Muslim issues from the Para 11.7 except MSDP. The inherent design of MSDP failed to serve the purpose and flagship PMs' 15 point programme need to be more inclusive with clear allocation from different departments" they told PM.

They also told PM that some of them raised these issues while the House discussed the performance of Minority Affairs Ministry on 23rd and 24th of March 2011 and also a delegation of 21 sitting Parliamentarians met the Planning Commission of India on 24th March 2011with the same objective.

"The BPL methodology adopted by planning commission debars Muslims though their Socio-Economic Conditions are almost on par with SCs. Even in the post Sachar period HRD 2011 Report has ample data proof of Muslims faring on par with SCs in all Human development Indicators. The socio-religious gaps in Urban Poverty indicators are a serious concern to the community as most of the community lives in Urban Slums. The newly constituted group to evolve Methodology to identify Urban Poverty needs to consider certain Conceptual lacunas which may result in deleting most of Muslim for BPL barrier" they in the memorandum submitted to the PM.

source: TwoCircles.net