Rs 10,000 crore sought for minorities development

Rs 10,000 crore sought for minorities development

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Dec 5, 2016: It is reported that Udupi district’s  Karnataka State Minorities Association, staged a hunger strike in front of DC’s office demanding budgeting of a minimum of Rs 10,000 crore to foster the cause of minority communities.

  The Association’s Udupi district secretary Iqbal Bellare said governments in the post-independent era had failed to provide minimum development programmes for the growth of minority communities. He said political parties indulge in vote bank politics to lure voters belonging to minorities’ communities by assuring them of a better future but once elected, fail to deliver their promises. He said of all minorities, Muslims remained the most backward in Karnataka. "Justice Rajendra Mishra Sachar Committee report in 2006, which was submitted before the central government, echoed this sentiment," he said. Bellare said the recommendations made in the report are yet to be implemented for the betterment of Muslims.


The Amithab Kundu committee in 2013 also suggested recommendations for the improvement of Muslims, he said. Bellare said Muslims should be educated about their social, educational, employment, political and economic rights.

He said government should earmark at least Rs 10,000 crore in the budget for the development of minority communities. "State government should ensure 15% reservation for minorities following recommendations made in the Justice Ranghanath Mishra commission and out of 15%, 10% should be exclusively reserved for Muslims," he said.

"Morarji Desai residential schools and pre university colleges for minorities should be introduced in all taluks. There should be residential schools and colleges for girls belonging to minority communities in each district," he said. Bellare said there should be reservation in private sector for minorities and hostel facilities free of cost for women employees belonging to minority communities.

He said Karnataka is identified as a communally sensitive state. In this backdrop, the state government should initiate measures to introduce Communal Violence (Prevention, Control and Rehabilitation of Victims) Bill, 2005, or the 13, 14, 15 recommendations made in the ’D’ division of the 15 point programme of the Prime Minister, he said.