Govt urged to take steps for welfare of minorities, charter of demands put up during winter session of Maharashtra Assembly

Correspondent

NewsBits.in

Mumbai/Nagpur: The Maharashtra government has been urged to implement schemes for minorities' welfare and a charter of demands has been put up, seeking action for uplift of the religious minorities.

MMNF--Maha Minority NGO Forum held a sit-in at Yashwant stadium and asked the Minister for Minorities' Affairs to take steps that would improve the socio-economic condition of Muslims and other religious minorities in the state. 

A charter of demands has been put up during the Assembly session in Nagpur. Apart from Mumbai, the session is held in Nagpur as well and the legislators converge on the biggest city in Vidarbha region of Maharashtra, during the winter conclave. The list of demands is as follows.

Law should be promulgated to ensure that minorities remain safe and there is protection for them--ensuring safety during violence and communal riots.   All religious places should be protected and their safety must be paramount.  

Those involved in creating communal tensions and causing riot like situations must be dealt sternly. Scholarships should be started and students of minorities from Class I to Class VIIth standard must also get Rs 3,000-Rs 7,000 scholarship for their studies.  

The residential schools must be opened in all districts for girls and boys apart from institutions for skill development. The minorities comprise a major chunk of state's population and the budget for minorities should be fixed at 10% of state's budget.

The budget for minorities' development has been paltry and too little.    The department ought to have employees and officials that are required for proper functioning.   

New schemes should be started and regular review of implementation should be conducted.    In secretariat, commisioner offices and other departments, the officials of minority department should be appointed.  

PM's 15 point scheme for minorities, must be implemented effectively. The minorities' research and training institution should be established with a budget of 500 crores.