Congress minorities declaration to suggest ₹5,000 crore for minority welfare

Congress leader Shabbir Ali said ₹5,000 cr budget for minorities empowerment in Telangana. Suggestions from 15 Muslim orgs, open session with reps of Muslims, Christians, Jains, Dalit Muslims received. Previous Congress govt implemented 4% Muslim reservation, 50 minority colleges shut by BRS govt. Congress to consider suggestions for new colleges, private minority university.

Congress senior leader and TPCC minorities declaration draft committee chairman Mohammed Ali Shabbir said that the minorities declaration of Congress would guarantee the empowerment of minorities in Telangana with an allocation of ₹5,000 crore in the budget.

Some of the important suggestions received by the committee include an increase in the minorities welfare budget to ₹5,000 crore, a minorities sub-plan on the lines of SC, ST Sub-Plans, hike in the budget for marriage scheme, he said while speaking to reporters along with TPCC vice-president and committee’s convener Zafar Javeen, AICC secretary Mansoor Ali Khan, Shaik Abdullah Sohail among others.

Mr. Shabbir Ali said that more than 150 suggestions were received through online and offline modes, and they included 15 prominent Muslim organisations. He said that representatives of several prominent Muslims, Christians, Jains, Dalit Muslims and others participated in the open session.

Mr. Shabbir Ali said that the previous Congress government implemented a 4% Muslim reservation which changed the lives of lakhs of poor Muslim families in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh in the last 18 years. He said of the 56 minority engineering and professional colleges sanctioned by the previous Congress regime, 50 colleges had been shut down by the BRS government.

He said that the Congress would consider suggestions like granting permission to new medical, engineering and other professional colleges. Similarly, the suggestion for setting up a private minority university may also be included in the declaration.