Chief Secretary of AP Ms. Minnie Mathew has issued instructions to all the heads of departments in the state to implement 15 Pint Programme of the PM of India and to allocate 15% of their total budget for Minorities Welfare Scheme. She also instructed Police Dept. to ensure 4% Reservation for Minorities in its recruitments. She did not accept the contention of the police officers that Muslim candidates are not coming forward in recruitments. A review meeting was held under the stewardship of the Chief Secretary in which 17 departments participated.
This meeting has been convened prior to the meeting of the monitoring committee in which CM himself would participate. He will review the implementation of Minorities Development plans. It is expected that the meeting of the monitoring committee would be held at the end of this month or in the first week of May 2013.
All the heads of the departments presented reports of their respective departments regarding the implementation of PM’s 15 Point Programme for the development of Minorities. In these reports, many heads of the departments admitted that Minorities are being given 15% share of the total budget. In some cases where this target is not achieved they promised to compensate it.
Incharge Principal Secretary of the Dept. of Minorities Welfare presented the details of the scholarships given to Minority students and the fees reimbursed. He informed that the scheme of associating the banks to the Welfare programmes of Minorities Finance Corporation has been extended to include a few more banks.
A target of one lakh families has been fixed for giving loans to Minorities for starting their own businesses. Referring to the enhanced budget allocation for Minorities, she said that Govt. is serious that the budget allocated for Minorities is properly utilized. The benefits of the welfare schemes for Minorities should reach the beneficiaries. Some departments expressed difficulties in allocating 15% amount for the welfare schemes of Minorities. The Chief Secretary told them that this target has to be achieved at any cost.
Principal Secretary of the Dept. of Minorities Welfare complained that 4% reservations are not being given in police department. The police officials informed that recruitments are being made in police department in accordance with the recruitment rules of 1999 which do not make any provision for reservations for Minorities.
The Chief Secretary asked them to amend those rules. Police officials also told that the candidates belonging to Minorities are not coming forward for recruitments. The Chief Secretary told them to provide 4% reservations and then the Minority candidates will come forward automatically. As per the guidelines of PM’s 15 Point Programme, review committee meeting must be held every three months. The last meeting of the review committee was held in July 2012.
The officials of the Departments of Education informed that 4% reservations are being implemented in polytechnic admissions. The Chief Secretary instructed them to ensure 15% admissions in schools to Minorities. Parents of the children could be persuaded through Anganwadis to send their children to schools.
It was decided to created awareness among Minorities about the utilization of Minorities welfare schemes. Mr. Mohammed Abdul Waheed, Commissioner of Dept. of Minorities Welfare, Additional DGP, Mr. Syed Anwarul Huda IPS, Mr. T.P. DAS, IAS, Principal Secretary of Home Dept. and other higher officials attended the meeting.
——Siasat News