UP earmarks 20 pc funds for minorities

Uttar Pradesh government on Tuesday decided to launch a new scheme for minorities in accordance with their population density and allocate 20 per cent funds of all government welfare schemes for the purpose, reports PTI.

The decision was taken in a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav held here. Keeping in mind the Sachar Committee recommendations, the government has decided to earmark 20 per cent resources of 85 schemes run by 30 departments, and pool them in the new scheme aimed at benefiting the minorities, the Chief Minister said.

A decision has been taken to earmark those schemes which benefit specific area, ward and village, keeping in view the population of minority communities and it has been proposed to implement the new scheme in those areas where the ratio of minority population is at least 25 per cent, he said.

The scheme will include installation of handpumps, setting up of aganbari centres, construction of rural infrastructure, roads and others, Akhilesh said.

Besides these, social pension schemes, houses in rural and urban areas, Kanya Vidhya Dhan and free boring for pumps will also be included in the new scheme, the Chief Minister said, adding that, provisions of norms and eligibility criteria of the new scheme would remain like their original ones.

Charting out details of the new scheme's implementation and monitoring, the Chief Minister said, committees would be set up at government and district levels headed by the Chief Secretary and District Magistrates respectively, and to ensure transparency, two members from minority communities would be nominated to these committees.

An additional website in Hindi and Urdu would be launched to ensure transparency of the new scheme and a publicity campaign would be launched to highlight it among people.