In a fresh move to win over Muslims, the Akhilesh Yadav government on Tuesday, decided to launch a new scheme for minorities in accordance with their population density and allocate 20 per cent funds of all government welfare schemes for the purpose.
The decision was taken in a Cabinet meeting chaired by chief minister Akhilesh Yadav.
The state government, in view of the Sachchar Committee recommendations, has decided to earmark 20 per cent resources of 85 schemes run by 30 departments, and pool them in the new scheme aimed at benefiting the minorities.
The chief minister, in an informal chat with reporters, said that the decision has been taken to earmark those schemes which benefit specific area, ward and village, keeping in view the population of minority communities.
He said that it has been proposed to implement the new scheme in those areas where the ratio of minority population is at least 25 per cent.
The scheme will include installation of hand pumps, setting up of anganwadi centres, construction of rural infrastructure, roads and others.
The chief minister said that besides these, social pension schemes, houses in rural and urban areas, Kanya Vidhya Dhan and free boring for pumps will also be included in the new scheme.
The provisions of norms and eligibility criteria of the new scheme would remain like their original ones.
The chief minister further said that committees would be set up at government and district levels headed by the chief secretary and district magistrates respectively, and to ensure transparency, two members from minority communities would be nominated to these committees.
An additional website in Hindi and Urdu would be launched to ensure transparency of the new scheme and a publicity campaign would be launched to highlight it among people.