Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Oct 12: Union Minister for Minority Affairs, Najma Heptulla, today said the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Government is focusing on development as its election plank and accused the opposition of playing up communal issues.
While addressing a press conference here this afternoon, the Union Minister said there were apprehensions before the 2014 Lok Sabha polls that the Minority Affairs Ministry might be wound up if BJP led by Modi came to power. “That has not happened. In fact, the budgetary allocation has been doubled from Rs 1500 crore to Rs 3000 crore,” she said.
Heptulla said focus of her ministry is education as the main mode of uplifting the minorities from backwardness. “More than 60 per cent of the funds in NMDC corpus are being spent on providing scholarship to the minorities. We believe education is the only way to bring the under-privileged sections of the society at par with the rest of it,” she added.
The Minister said the other focus area is skill development which will ensure employment avenues for youth, economic prosperity and preservation of traditional arts. “We have identified 18 arts and crafts which we will be promoting under the skill development programme. We want to make arts and crafts financially attractive so that a son of a weaver does not turn to other trades. It will also help in preserving our crafts like carpet weaving, wood carving, etc from dying,” she said. She further said her ministry is soon launching programmes for the minorities for their upliftment.
Union Minister said the optimal use of Waqf properties in the country could yield an annual income of Rs 12000 crore, which can be used for upliftment of Muslims. “The waqf properties in the country can yield an annual income of Rs 12000 crore which can be used for education and other upliftment projects for the community,” she said.
Heptulla said these properties will be developed under the private-public partnership mode so that these can be put to commercial use.
Asked about the vast encroachments on Waqf properties, the Union Minister said the Parliamentary Standing Committee has returned the bill and further action would be taken once the bill is passed by the Parliament.
Heptulla said she has held a similar meeting for western states in Mumbai earlier this year which was successful. “Such meetings give the states an opportunity to learn from each other… they share their successful programs. We will hold similar meetings for southern and eastern region also so that we are able to reach out to people living in remote areas and mitigate their problems”, she said.
The Minister said: “The message we want to give is that the Modi Government is at your doorsteps to solve your problems.”
Follow our WhatsApp channel