Bengaluru, Oct 10: Karnataka government has decided to drop several programmes aimed at the welfare of Muslims by slashing the funds for minority welfare schemes by 44% (Rs 468 crore) in the financial year 2020-21. Some of the schemes that covered Jains, Buddhists and Sikhs also have been dropped.”
Minority Welfare Minister Shrimant Patil has announced that no allocation will be made for following five schemes: 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.
Apart from them, the state government has cut funds for several ongoing programmes aimed at minorities. They include funds for development of Christians, learning interventions in state-run minority schools, Vidyasiri stipend, training for competitive exams and new hostels.
In all, the allocation for minority welfare that was Rs 1,418.98 crore in 2019-20 has come down to Rs 950 crore this fiscal. Bidaai was launched by the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government in which a Rs 50,000 one-time marriage assistance was given to minority women, where it was originally intended only for Muslims. Over one lakh women have been covered under the scheme since inception. “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,” Patil informed the Assembly.
