With the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections round the corner, the government is working on a plan to have special component for minority welfare in the Union Budget.
For the purpose, an inter-ministerial memo has been prepared to discuss the issue and find ways to provide fund for minority-related schemes directly at the block level.
The move was initiated after the recently concluded Monsoon Session during which some Muslim MPs met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and shared their concerns over proper implementation of minority welfare schemes. Following this Dr Singh is learnt to have asked those MPs to approach deputy chairman of planning commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia with their grievances.
It was later decided to take up the issue for inter-ministerial consultations, which culminated into a note for consideration of the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA).
The move, interestingly, comes at a time when Assembly elections are scheduled in Punjab, Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Manipur and Goa, besides politically sensitive Uttar Pradesh next year.
The note, which has been prepared for the purpose and is being in circulation for consultations, seeks to make a case for having a special component in the Union Budget for minorities on the lines of Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs).
Muslim minority constitutes 18 per cent of India’s population.
Recently, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) had ordered a study to assess the impact of programmes for minorities and identify gaps, which could be plugged in the 12th Plan period.
The PMO has directed the minority affairs ministry to assess within two months as to what extent the Multi-Sectoral Developmental Programmes (MSDP) launched on the basis of Sachar Committee recommendations have improved the lot of minorities in the 90 identified districts across the country.
The government has earmarked `3,000 crore for these schemes of which `2,100 crore has already been released, sources said.