Hyderabad: During a gathering at Jalavihar, Finance Minister T Harish Rao revealed that Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) is considering a financial assistance scheme specifically designed for minority communities.
Harish praised KCR for his profound respect for minorities, exemplified by appointing Mohammed Mahmood Ali as the State’s Home Minister twice, in accordance with the tradition of ‘Ganga-Jamni Tehzeeb.’ He also highlighted the ‘Shadi Mubarak’ scheme for Muslims, modeled after the successful ‘Kalyana Lakshmi’ program aimed at Hindus.
In a bid to uplift minorities, particularly the Muslim community, the Chief Minister will soon announce another scheme. Harish criticized the Congress party for using Muslims merely as a vote bank and failing to focus on their real development.
The Telangana Government has allocated a significant sum of Rs 2,200 crore for minority welfare in the current fiscal year, surpassing the budgetary allocation made by the previous Congress governments.
Harish expressed delight at the increasing number of minority students pursuing professional courses in the State. He mentioned that minority residential schools allow students to choose between English and Urdu mediums for education.
The Minister also highlighted KCR’s support for the education of the girl child, citing the example of minority girl Syeda Salva Fatima, who received funds for pilot training and now earns Rs 5 lakh per month.
Additionally, Harish listed various other schemes aimed at the development of Muslim minorities in Telangana. These include KCR’s request for the conduction of NEET exams in Urdu medium and the provision of a loan of Rs 20 lakh for minority students seeking overseas education.
Furthermore, the Telangana Government has undertaken initiatives like Ramzan gifts, Dawat-e-Iftar, and the construction of a guest house for Telangana pilgrims in Ajmer, funded at Rs 5 crore.
