Rs 749 cr set aside for minority uplift

The Human Resource Development Ministry has set aside Rs 749 crore to mobilise 8220;awareness8221; about 8220;literacy and education among Muslims.8221;

The Human Resource Development Ministry has set aside Rs 749 crore to mobilise 8220;awareness8221; about 8220;literacy and education among Muslims.8221; According to a paper prepared by the ministry, the money will be utilised over the next five years in 103 districts of the country.

While Rs 440 crore has been set aside for camp-based literacy cum vocational training programmes for Muslims in 88 districts, Rs 40 crore has been earmarked for group activities and door to door campaigns in 20 states. A whopping Rs 50 crore is 8220;annual plan expenditure,8221; for 8220;TV/AIR publicity, newspapers and other printed media8221;. Further, the ministry has asked for Rs 5 crore for 8220;monitoring, evaluation and consultancy8221; of the programme.

It may be recalled here that before the last Lok Sabha elections, when the NDA government spent crores of public money on publicising 8220;achievements8221; of the government, independent agencies had indicted the government in some way or the other. While the present case is not exactly publicity for the government, questions could be raised on the use of funds for a cause like this.

Apart from money set aside for the 8220;media campaign8221;, the additional Rs 5 crore that has been set aside for 8220;exposure visits to different nations and within the country for sharing experiences in promoting literacy and education among Muslims8221; could also invite criticism.

The funds set aside for 8220;exhibition/promotional drives at major dargahs during annual urs8221; was Rs. 8.75 crore and about Rs 2 crore has been put aside as expenses for 8220;messages/posters indicating the sayings of the Prophet regarding promotion of knowledge/education8221; for the Plan period.

The HRD ministry estimates that 8220;meetings with other stake-holders8221; on this matter would cost Rs 5.15 crore over the next five years, and 8220;academic input8221; which includes preparation and printing of Urdu primers, 8220;neo-literate material8221; and IT package8221; would cost Rs. 14.50 crore for the five year period.