Only 59% of funds allocated for minority welfare programmes in the 12th Plan has been utilised so far. The Centre learnt this recently at a review meeting of minority-welfare related programmes and the prime minister’s 15-point programme with the state governments.
With the election process having already begun in some states and the general elections just around the corner, union minister for minority affairs K Rahman Khan expressed concern that Congress-ruled states like Assam, Delhi and Uttarakhand were at the bottom of the performance index of these programmes.
The opposition-ruled Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, which have large Muslim populations, have also fared poorly, but were better than Congress-ruled states at 9th and 13th respectively in the performance index. Uttar Pradesh accounts for 45 districts having substantial Muslim population, while Bihar has 20.
In view of the upcoming elections, the ministry has now asked its officers to monitor regularly the implementation of the 15 Point Programme and to transfer funds to states as soon as possible.
Officials are, however, aghast that states were tardy in sending utilization certificates for the funds.
They point out that certificates for Rs 638 crore released as first instalment and Rs 773 crore released as second instalment during 2013-14 were yet to be received from the states.
The Centre has been funding states for improving the lot of the minorities in 90 districts, 338 towns and 1,228 blocks where the minorities account for 25 per cent or more. The ministry has now increased the number of districts to 196 for getting funds under various schemes for socio-economic development of the minorities that include literacy and basic amenities such as drinking water, electricity and houses.
Even eight years down the lane, since Justice Rajinder Sachar committee pointed out social, economic and educational backwardness of Muslim community, a new report has found that the UPA government has failed to implement schemes and most of the benefits intended for minorities were being cornered by either the majority population or non-Muslim minorities.
The ‘Social Development Report 2012: Minorities at the Margins’ prepared by scholars such as Zoya Hasan, Mushirul Hasan, Tanweer Fazal, Javed Alam Khan and Abusaleh Sharif found that programmes intended to improve school education among Muslims focused on modernization of madarsas even though only 4% Muslims go there for education. The finance ministry efforts to extend banking and credit facilities to Muslims, has also ended up benefiting non-Muslim minorities whose socio-economic status is comparable to upper caste Hindus, the report said. In Delhi, 54% of funds meant for minorities was found to have gone to the coffers of Jains, who account for just 4% of the population.
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