With general elections just about a year away and the government struggling to enact politically sensitive food security and land acquisition bills, the National Advisory Council headed by UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi has recommended that it further expand the Prime Minister’s 15-point programme for minorities to include the UPA’s flagship rural employment guarantee scheme under it.
In a report to the government, a copy of which is with this newspaper, the NAC suggested that only a limited number of schemes be part of the 15-point programme. “Therefore, there is scope for expansion to include other schemes, such as small and medium industries, youth affairs, agriculture and NREGA,” it said.
Sources said once the government accepts the NAC’s suggestion, Muslims, who constitute the biggest minority community — around 20 per cent of India’s population going by the 2011 census, will get jobs under the scheme on a priority basis.
“The government may also consider implementing NREGA in Muslim villages in a focused way and also carve out a special fund from the allocation for the rural development ministry”, sources said.