Pics: Spoorthi Ullal
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (BG)

Mangalore, Jan 16: Union minister for minority affairs Rehman Khan on Wednesday January 16 visited the city and briefed the media on the works undertaken by the ministry for the welfare of minorities in the country.

Addressing a press meet, he said that the ministry for minority affairs was formed in the year 2006, and ever since then has intiated various schemes and devlopment works that have brought about progress among the minorities.

"As per the Sachar Commission report, there are five minority communities in the country - Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, Sikhs and Parsis," he said.

"When a community is backward, it is detrimental to the progress of the country. Hence, it is the government's duty to support the minorities in every way possible and bring them to the mainstream," he said.

The government has undertaken several programmes for the welfare of the minorities, chief among which are scholarship disbursement, skill development and leadership training programmes, he said.

"As many as 90 districts in the country, including Bidar and Gulbarga in Karnataka, have been declared backward," he said.

"Rs 40 crore has been set aside for the development of minorities. Also, 15 percent of the benefits earned under any scheme of 11 departments reaches the minorities," he said.

Regarding the issue of the proposed Tipu Sultan University in Mysore which is yet to be initiated, he lashed out at the state government saying that no project should be stopped because of its name. He declined to comment further on the matter.

Congress leaders Ramanath Rai, U T Khadar, Ibrahim Kodijal, Ashraf and others were present.

Rehman Khan later visited the Bishop's House and held discussions with Bishop Dr Aloyius Paul D'Souza.