CM DOESN’T MENTION 12% QUOTA FIGURE

Hyderabad, Nov. 4: Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Saturday avoided any mention of the major electoral promise of giving 12 per cent reservation in jobs and education for Muslims.

In his message, which was read out at the annual conference of All India Muslim Education Society (AIMES) here, the Chief Minister avoided mentioning the figure of 12 per cent and remained noncommittal on the deadline to implement the same.

“Providing reservations to Muslims in jobs and education will prove a very effective measure,” he said and added that the government had taken certain steps for reservations and fulfilled constitutional and legal requirements before passing the resolution in the Assembly. It has been sent to the Centre for approval. “We have represented to the Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) and pursuing the matter with the Centre,” he said.

The Chief Minister gave a detailed list of schemes being implemented by his government for the welfare of Muslims.

He said while allocating an annual budget of `1,250 crore, several innovative steps were taken for educational, social and economic empowerment of poor Muslims.

Mr Chandrasekhar Rao mentioned the setting up of 206 minority residential schools in which more than 50,000 students are enrolled. He said the government was spending `65,000 to educate each student.