Mixed reactions came from the minority community leaders of the State over the Union budget 2017-18 as BJP leader and Madhya Pradesh Waqf Board (MPWB) chairman Shokat Mohamed Khan said that highest ever increase in budget for minorities welfare has been made while former Congress State spokesman Arif Masood raised doubts over the intents of the Government.
The provisions of development schemes for minorities in five Madhya Pradesh cities would benefit the increased allocation in union budget for minorities. The Union Minority Affairs received `Rs 4,195 crore in the 2017-18 general budget a rise of 9.6 per cent from the previous year. Cities like Mhow, Khargone, Burhanpur, Bhopal and Sheopur would gain from Union Government funding under multi-sectoral development programme (MSDP). In the current fiscal, `24 crore was allocated for various schemes under MDSP.
Khan said, “We welcome the move. It is the highest ever allocation increase. Minorities will benefit and lead to better education, skill development and employment.” Masood said that provisions for minorities’ welfare are made every year in the budget but this is also fact that this budget also gets lapsed every year. The State Government do not expense the allocated budget while the beneficiaries roam from pillar to post to avail benefits but of no use, as Government is not interested in disbursing the benefits, he added.
Sources in the state minority affairs department indicate that allocation in the five cities. “Cities with a minorities’ population above 25 per cent get direct additional funding for development projects of about `100 crore. We believe new guidelines will lead to more funding larger projects to benefit minorities across MP,” said an official.
On Wednesday Finance Minister Arun Jaitley allocated a hike of `367.75 crores to Minority Affairs budget. The budget will be utilised in executing the umbrella schemes for minority communities like - Muslims, Sikhs, Jains Christians and Parsis.
Making land acquisition tax free would made the procedure easy. The inclusion of rail, road transport and shipping in the rail budget and making of rail budget a part of union budget would increase chances of balanced development in the transport sector, he added.