Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s budget for FY2022-23 has evoked myriad reactions with the ruling party expectedly praising it and the opposition spotting loopholes, but the allocation for the Union Ministry of Minority Affairs has invited strong criticism from a non-political body, Gujarat-based Minority Coordination Committee (MCC).
Mujahid Nafees, the convenor of the MCC, has pointed out that the budget for Minority Affairs Ministry has been hiked by only 4% over the previous fiscal while the allocation of Rs 5,020 crore is just about 0.23% of the total budget for FY22-23.
He said even the 4% hike was an eyewash, citing the reduction in the allocations for important schemes.
“The budget on special programs for minorities has been slashed by Rs 8.5 crore, while that of Qaumi Waqf Board Progressive Scheme has been reduced by Rs 1 crore. There has been a huge cut of Rs 41 crore in the Nai Manzil Scheme and Rs 5.5 crore in the scheme for leadership development of minority women,” Nafees said.
Not only this, the budget for Maulana Azad Foundation has been abolished and a provision of only Rs 1 lakh has been made and there is a reduction of Rs 14 crore in the educational scheme for minorities and madrasas and a cut of Rs 46.31 crore in social services of the department.
He said Rs 41.67 crore for social security had been reduced, while Rs 79.37 crore has been reduced in the total social service sector. “The most emphasis of this government is on skill development, but it has reduced Rs 81.09 crore in it.
“This shows that the government is discriminating against the minority community, the government does not want it to be on the path of overall development. The Minority Coordination Committee considers this budget as discriminatory and demands that at least Rs 1 lakh crore should be allocated in the Union Budget according to the population as a special provision to ameliorate the backward society,” Nafees asserted.
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