Qamarul Islam promises more welfare schemes for minorities

KALABURAGI, May 22, 2016:Municipal Administration and Minorities Affairs Minister Qamarul Islam says Karnataka is the only State in the country to establish exclusive residential schools for minorities. Speaking after releasing a booklet on the achievements of his department in the past three years, in the city recently, he said the State has 16 Morarji Desai residential schools and six Navodaya Residential Schools for the minorities. He said the State’s efforts to establish exclusive residential schools for the minorities have received appreciation from the Union government as well. Vacant posts The Minister said in the first phase, the government had filled up 1,000 posts of teachers, wardens and cooks in these schools, adding that recruitment for another 1,540 posts was under way. The Minister said there are proposals to establish a few more residential schools. He also said the State has been a “trendsetter” in extending financial assistance to minority students to pursue higher education abroad, and in the last two years, 50 students have been provided scholarships and financial assistance of up to Rs. 20 lakh. Minority hospitals He said Karnataka also has the highest number of minority hostels — a total of 256. Of these, 132 were established in the past three years, he said. He said while 45 minority hostels were functioning in their own building, measures have been initiated to identify land and take up construction of their own building for the remaining hostels. Mr. Qamarul also said the Congress government in the State has, over the past three years, allocated Rs. 2,528 crore for minority welfare, as opposed to Rs. 1,145 crore set aside by the previous BJP government during its five-year tenure. The Minister said the government has laid more emphasis on education of minorities. He also said the government has decided to introduce three more schemes for minority welfare — for comprehensive development of minority colonies, for modernisation of madrasas, and for a time-bound capability-building programme for minority students studying in Urdu medium.