Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SD)

Bengaluru, Oct 8: Funds for minority welfare schemes is slashed by 44 percent or Rs 468 crore by the B S Yediyurappa administration. The decision has resulted in discontinuation of programmes that covered Muslims, Jains, Buddhists and Sikhs this financial year.

Five schemes have been dropped this financial year as per the information tabled in the legislative assembly by minority welfare minister Shrimant Patil and witnessed no allocation for them which saw dropped down of construction of Muslim convention halls (shaadi mahals), skill development for minorities, bidaai (shaadi bhagya, chief minister's minorities development scheme and financial assistance to Jain, Buddhist and Sikh communities.

In addition to that, several ongoing programmes aimed at minorities were cut which included funds for development of Christians, learning interventions in state run minority schools, Vidyasiri stiphend, training for competitive exams and new hostels.

The minority welfare allotment has come down from Rs 1,418.98 crore to 950 crore this financial year.

Bidaai was an initiative of the previous Siddaramaiah led government intended only for the Muslim women in which a Rs 50,000 one time assistance was given to minority women. Patil responded to the assembly and stated in a written reply, "There were 32,516 pending applications in 2019-20 and each one was given Rs 25,000 in a one time settlement for which Rs 81.29 crore was released."

KPCC working president Saleem Ahmed said, "The BJP's attitude towards minorities is known. But, as a government they have to take every community into confidence."

The government plans to set up a Maulana Azad Trust with a corpus of Rs 25 crore to provide modern education to backward Muslims.