CHARMINAR: Chief minister K Chandrashekar Raoannounced that the government will introduce a Bill providing 12% reservations to Muslim minorities in the state in the budget session of the Legislative Assembly. He said the government would impress upon the Centre to include the proposed reservation in the 9th Schedule of the Constitution of India on similar lines as Tamil The reservations are being proposed based on the socio-economic conditions of Muslims in the state and not on the basis of religion. The Sudhir Commission, entrusted with the job of studying living standards of minorities in the state, submitted its re port and it has been forwarded to the BC Commission.The BC Commission is seeking opinions from various sections of people in the state on the report,” the chief minister said.
In a statement on minority welfare in the Assembly , the chief minister listed out measures being taken by the TRS government for welfare of the minorities including setting up residential schools, colle ges, overseas scholarship schemes and Shaadi Muba rak scheme apart from incre asing the budget to `1,200 cro re for minority welfare. He said 8,934 imams and mau zams, who provide spiritual services at places of wors hips, are being given `1,000 monthly honorarium. He sa id Shadhikhanas and Urdu Ghars were sanctioned in the state to protect the Urdu language and culture.
The chief minister said a grant of `53 crore was given for renovation, repair and construction of wakf institutions, an increase from the practice of earmarking just `4 to `5 crore in the past. He said the government also gave permission to 11wakf lands to be leased out for construction and generate in the process, revenue of about `60 to `70 crore a year. At the same time, the chief minister said, the government had been taking all measures to protect Wakf Board properties by forming coordination committees with the district collector as chairman. MIM floor leader Akbaruddin Owaisi asked the government to extend the benefits of Dalit Christians to Dalit Muslims where Dalits enjoy reservations even after converting to Christianity . He also asked the state government to ask the Centre to conduct NEET examination for medical courses in Urdu medium. The MIM leader asked the government to construct an Islamic Study Centre at Madhapur, where over an acre of land is available.BJP MLA G Kishan Reddy opposed extending reservations to Dalit Muslims on the lines of Dalit Christians saying that it will leads to mass conversions and disturb communal harmony.
He also said government cannot propose 12% reservations to Muslims as the High Court has struck down the four percent reservations for Muslims and the case is now pending with the Supreme Court for hearing.
The quota gimmicks and vote bank politics go hand in hand. why not propose a quota for all with less than 5 Lakh of annual income as per latest filed ITR and abolish all the other quotas.