Centre keen on providing reservation for Muslims: Union Minister

Hyderabad, January 6 : Union Minister for Minorities Welfare K Rahman Khan on Sunday said that the Centre was keen to give reservation for Muslims in jobs and education at the national level.

Addressing One Day Convention Minorities Issues organised by the All India Minorities Forum here, Rahman Khan said that the Centre was studying the model of Muslim reservation being implemented in the States of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerela. Based on the findings, the Centre would come out with a comprehensive plan to provide reservation to Muslims across the country.

The Union Minister also informed that as many as 11 different ministries spend around Rs 3 lakh crore on social development programmes. Of this, nearly 15 per cent or Rs 45,000 crore should be spent for the development of minorities. Therefore, he said his ministry was working hard to get the minorities’ share from the concerned ministries. However, he said it was very difficult to monitor the spending of these funds as they are done in collaboration with respective State Governments.

Rahman Khan informed that efforts were on to introduce the Equal Opportunities Commission Bill in the Parliament in the next two months. He said that the Commission at the national level would be headed by a retired Chief Justice of Supreme Court while State Commissions would be chaired by retired CJ or Judge of High Courts. He said that Commission would have all required statutory powers.

The Union Minister said committees would be formed from district to national levels to monitor the implementation of schemes meant for the minorities’ welfare. The representatives of reputed NGOs and eminent personalities might be included in the committees for better monitoring. He said a five-year plan for the overall development of minorities was also being designed.

Congress Working Committee member Mohsin Kidqai, former Governor Syed Sibt Razvi, MPs Haroon Rasheed and Shafeeq-ur-Rahman Barq, former MP M Afzal, former minister Mohammad Ali Shabbir, former DGP Swaranjit Sen, Pune’s Additional Commissioner Abdul Rahman, father Dhanraj and other leaders from the minority communities addressed the gathering.