UPA Rule Was ‘Golden Decade’ for Indian Muslims: Congress Leader

Hyderabad, April 27: Congress MLC and former Minister Mohammad Ali Shabbir on Sunday appealed to the people, especially the minorities, to vote in favour of Congress candidates to ensure continuance of welfare measures across the country.

 

In a media statement, Shabbir Ali, who is contesting from Kamareddy Assembly constituency, described the 10-year regime of Congress-led UPA Government at the Centre as the “Golden Decade” for minorities in India. The Congress-led UPA Government has set a new benchmark for the development of minorities in the country. In the last 10 years, all energies were focussed on the educational and socio-economic development of minorities. While the UPA-I laid the foundation for the real growth of minorities, the UPA-II accomplished what could not be achieved in the last 50 years.

 

As per the India Human Development Report of the Planning Commission, literacy rate among Muslims has registered a marked improvement from 52.1% in 1999-2000 to 63.5% in 2007-08 for rural areas and from 69.8% to 75.1% for urban areas. As per the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) Report on employment and unemployment situation among major religious groups in India (2009-10), it has been observed that unemployment rate for minority communities have declined in 2009-10 as compared to 2004-05 in both rural and urban areas.

 

Under PM`s 15 points programme 11 ministries have introduced 24 programmes for minorities. Scholarship and Multi Sectoral Development Programme are important among them.

 

In Andhra Pradesh, it was the Congress Government which established country’s first Minorities Welfare Department in 1993. For the first time, a budget of Rs 2 crore for minorities’ welfare was allocated. In 2013-14, the budget was increased to over Rs 1,000 crore.

 

Despite legal hurdles, the Congress Government has been implementing the 4% Reservation for Muslims in jobs and education. As many as 225 seats are reserved for Muslims in Government Medical Colleges under BC-E category. Due to the combined output of 4% resrevation and five minorities’ medical colleges, a total of 725 Muslim youth are becoming doctors every years.

 

Likewise, in the year 2013-14, under BC-E category, Muslim students got admissions on 9,023 Engineering seats. As many as 12,415 Muslims got admission in B Tech/B Pharm through SW-I & SW-II-AC, 5,975 in MBA/MCA, 1,840 in M Tech/M Pharm and 2,250 in B Ed courses. Due to 4% reservation in local bodies polls, for the first time 226 Muslims were elected as sarpanches. Therefore, the Congress already took the first step for political empowerment of minorities, especially Muslims in the State.

 

Shabbir Ali said that the Congress Government has completely revolutionalised the lives of poor Muslims across the country, especially Andhra Pradesh.

 

The Plan allocation for the Ministry of Minority Affairs has been increased from Rs.7000 crore during 11th FYP to Rs.17,323 crore during the 12th FYP.

 

In 2012-13 Rs.1360 crore has been released under scholarship schemes to support education of 72 lakh minority students. Multi-sectoral Development Programme (MsDP) has been implemented effectively in 90 identified Minority Concentration Districts (MCDs) in 20 States/UTs of the country during 11th Five Year Plan. Out of the total allocation of Rs. 3780 crore for MsDP during 11th Plan, approval to plans/projects of Rs. 3733.90 crore (99% of allocation) has been given and Rs. 2935.93 crore has been released to the States/UTs as on 31.03.12 and as per the report from State Govts./UTs , an amount of Rs. 2278.76 crore has been utilized.  

 

The 15 Point Programme and MsDP have done an appreciable task during the last five to six years. Since 2006-07 till 2012-13, more than 33,000 new Primary and Upper Primary Schools have been opened in districts with substantial minority population under 15 Point Programme. In the same period, about 23800 Primary and Upper Primary Schools were constructed and 555 new Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas have been sanctioned in such districts. More than 22 lakh IAY houses have been constructed for minorities under 15 Point Programme since 2006-07 till 2012-13.

 

Under MsDP, projects worth about Rs. 6000 crore have been sanctioned and Rs. 4272 crore has been released to the States and UTs since inception of the programme in 2008 till September 2013 to create socio-economic infrastructure and provide basic amenities in Minority Concentration Areas. More than 700 School Buildings, 18,000 Class Rooms and 562 Hostels for Boys and Girls have been taken up for minorities’ welfare under MsDP. Further 113 ITIs and 44 Polytechnics have been taken up under this programme.

 

Shabbir Ali expressed confidence that the Congress party will come to power both in Telangana and at the Centre and will intensify its efforts for the overall development of minorities.

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