Govt. of AP has enhanced Minorities budget from Rs. 489 crore to Rs. 1027 crore. However, the seriousness of the Govt. for better utilization of the budget could be assessed from the fact that for the past 1 month the post of principle secretary of Minorities Welfare Department is vacant.
Govt. has not appointed any officials for this post. Ms. Rani Kumudni was transferred on 6th March to enable her to join Ministry of Agriculture, Govt. of India. After her transfer, Mr. Raymond Peter, Principal Secretary of the department of Social Welfare was given additional charge of this department. Department of Social Welfare itself is a very large organization. After tackling the affairs of this department, Mr. Peter doesn’t find time to concentrate on the issues relating to the department of Minorities Welfare.
He has not convened any review meeting so far and he has not even consulted the officials of this department. The height of it is that the officials of the department of Minorities Welfare have to make rounds of Secretariat to meet him. Even then they are disappointed. The disinterestedness of the Govt. can be guessed from the fact that an official of the department of Minorities Welfare is holding the additional responsibilities of more than 1 department. The Vice Chairman and Managing Director of AP State Minorities Finance Corporation, Mr. Mohammed Abdul Waheed has been appointed as incharge Commissioner of the Dept. of Minorities Welfare. Mr. Waheed would retire on 31st May 2013 on superannuation. Three days back Mr. Waheed has also been given the additional charge of Managing Director of Christian Finance Corporation since Mr. Yesurathnam has been transferred from that post.
If no new Commissioner of the Dept. of Minorities Welfare and Managing Director of Christian Finance Corporation is appointed before 31st May 2013, three posts would fall vacant. In addition to him two more officials of the same department are holding additional posts which include Prof. M.A. Shukoor who is the Director of Centre for Educational Development of Minorities at Nizam College, Osmania University is holding the additional responsibility of the Director and Secretary of Urdu Academy.
Whereas Mr. Mohammed Abdul Hameed, EO of Hajj Committee is holding additional responsibility of CEO of AP State Wakf Board. The affairs of these departments have become like the offices of Sarfekhas of the late Nizam of Hyderabad. The officials of the Departments of Minorities Welfare are functioning according to their whims and fancies due to lack of permanent Principal Secretary.
By not appointing a Principal Secretary for this Department for the past 1 month, Govt. of AP has exhibited its non-seriousness. When the offices of the Department of Minorities Welfare in Secretariat and Hajj House were visited yesterday it was found that no officer including the employees were not found in their seats. After the transfer of Ms. Rani Kumudni there is no one to take care of this department. People are making rounds for getting there issues resolved but there is no one to take care of them. It is evident that by nearly enhancing the budget of the Minorities Welfare department the problems of Minorities can not be solved.
Minorities of this state have strong feeling that Govt. enhance the budget of this department keeping in view the next General Elections but it is not serious about spending the amounts on the welfare of Minorities. Had the Govt. been serious about spending money on Minorities Welfare, it would have appointed a permanent officials for monitoring the expenditure. During the first quarter of 2013-14 a sum of Rs. 11 crore have already been released. How to utilize this amount, there is no one to check.
Mr. Ahmadullah Minister for Minorities Welfare spends most of his time in Kadapa District. Recently another scam came to limelight in Minorities Finance Corporation. Managing Director of Minorities Finance Corporation received threatening telephone calls also in which he was threatened to be kill. Reviewing all these affairs the appointment of a permanent Principal Secretary for the Department of Minorities Welfare becomes imperative.
—–Siasat News