Bengaluru: Karnataka’s Muzrai, Haj, and Wakf Minister Shashikala Jolle on Thursday announced Rs 1 lakh financial aid for Muslim women suffering from cancer, heart problems, and other major health ailments requiring surgeries.
The Karnataka Wakf Foundation for Women Development will provide aid to the needy women and the government has set aside Rs 1.74 crore funds in the current financial year for this purpose, she said.
Steps will be taken to create awareness about this programme among the people, Jolle said. “I didn’t know about it until I took charge as the minister. Every legislator should have knowledge about the programmes offered and it will be communicated to them,” she said.
Jolle said that there are 1,600 cases pending in the court in connection with encroachment of 8,480 acres of land belonging to the Wakf board. The report regarding encroachment by former Karnataka State Minorities Commission Chairperson Anwar Manappadi has been presented in the Assembly, she said.
She maintained that she liked this portfolio as she was a devout person.
Denying corruption charges levelled against her, she also maintained that she did not know about ‘zero traffic’ arranged for her at the time of the swearing-in ceremony so she reach the venue in time after her arrival from Delhi. The state High Court has taken note of this and issued notice to the minister and the Police seeking details.