With two ministers coming up with contradictory statements confusion prevails over Government decision to withdraw quota of 20 per cent given to the minorities in welfare schemes of 28 departments in the state.
Haj and Muslim Welfare Minister questioned the need to give reservation on religious lines and said wherever required government will extend benefit to people of any caste, creed and religion.
On the other hand State social welfare minister Rampati Shastri who had earlier given a hint of withdrawing quota from welfare schemes issued a clarification on Monday evening saying Government has no proposal to withdraw quota for minorities.
The quota to the minorities, which was given mostly to the Muslims, was given by the previous Akhilesh Yadav government. Altogether the minorities were provided 20 per cent quota in 85 welfare schemes mostly run by the social welfare and rural development departments.
As per the notification issued by the previous Samajwadi Party government it was said that 20 per cent quota should be earmarked for the minorities in all the schemes besides where the population of minorities are more than 25 per cent, there this system should be strictly implemented.
Minority welfare minister Mohsin Raza said that his government will only give quota to those person who really needs it.” We will benefit the minorities through legal way and the present system is biased,” he stated.
Similar reaction was also given by deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya also commented that ,” government was studying the proposal. We will remove whatever is not required and will add what is required,” he added. “This quota system has only added problem for the people,” he further said.
In 2012, SP government had taken the decision of 20 per cent quota to the minorities after the report of the National Sample Survey . The survey report on the religious group stated that per person expenditure of a Muslim is just Rs 32.66 per day. It also said that the average rural Muslim family monthly expenditure is Rs 833 while of the Hindus are Rs 888, christian Rs 1296 ad Sikh Rs 1498.
In urban areas the expenditure per family of Muslims are Rs 1272 per month, while that of Hindus are Rs 1797, Christians Rs 2053 and Sikh Rs 2180.