POKHRAN (RAJASTHAN): Bharatiya Janata Party MP Rajya Sabha Er. Gulam Ali Khatana today said that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s regime minorities benefitted the most as special schemes were introduced for their socio-economic, political empowerment.
He further said that Prime Minister's 15 Point Programme for the welfare of Minority Communities proved to be a game changer as number of minority candidates in various sectors saw and upward increase. The 15 point programme is an overarching programme which covers various schemes/initiatives of the participating Ministries/Departments with an aim to ensure that the underprivileged and weaker sections of six centrally notified minority communities have equal opportunities for availing the various Government welfare Schemes and contribute to the overall socio-economic development of the Country.
Addressing various public meetings in Pokhran Assembly constituency in support of the BJP candidate Mahat Pratappuri ji maharani, MP Khatana said that programme ensured an equitable share for minorities in economic activities and employment, through existing and new schemes, enhanced credit support for self-employment, and recruitment to State and Central Government jobs; Improving the conditions of living of minorities by ensuring an appropriate share for them in infrastructure development schemes; and Prevention and control of communal disharmony and violence.
He said that under the said Programme, various schemes/initiatives are implemented by various Ministries/Departments of the Central Government throughout the country (including Kerala and Rajasthan), for the welfare of notified minorities viz, Christians, Sikhs, Jains, Muslims, Buddhists and Parsis.
MP Khatana said that schemes education empowerment, skill development, easy loans provided much needed impetus to minorities for integration in the national mainstream. He said that in education sector Govt. introduced scholarship schemes like Pre-Matric Scholarship, Post-Matric Scholarship and Merit-cum-Means based Scholarship, Maulana Azad National Fellowship Scheme, provides financial assistance to students from notified minority communities, to pursue higher education such as M.Phil and Ph.D.
In addition, the Maulana Azad Education Foundation implements the scheme viz. Begum Hazrat Mahal National Scholarship for meritorious girls belonging to minorities studying in Classes IX to XII.
Under Naya Savera – Free Coaching and Allied Scheme which aims to enhance skills and knowledge of students and candidates from minority communities where total annual family income is less than Rs. 6 lakh to get employment in Government Sector/ Public Sector Undertaking, jobs in private sector, and admission in reputed institutions in technical and professional courses at under-graduate and post-graduate levels, added MP Khatana.
Seekho aur Kamao (Learn & Earn) is a skill development initiative for minorities and aims to upgrade the skills of minority youth in various modern/traditional skills depending upon their qualification, present economic trends and market potential, which can earn them suitable employment or make them suitably skilled to go for self-employment.
A mission has been launched by the Ministry of Minority Affairs under “Upgrading the Skill and Training in Traditional Arts/Crafts for Development (USTTAD)” scheme to give an effective platform to minority artisans and culinary experts from across the country to showcase and market their finest handicraft and exquisitely crafted products through “Hunar Haats” organized by the Ministry. Ministry has engaged institutions of national repute namely, National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), National Institute of Design (NID) and Indian Institute of Packaging (IIP) to work in various craft clusters for design intervention, product range development, packaging, exhibitions and brand building etc.
Listing other schemes for minority welfare, MP Gulam Ali Khatana said Nai Manzil is a scheme to provide education and skill training to the youth from minority communities; Gharib Nawaz Employment Training Programme for providing short-term job oriented skill development courses to youths; Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), National Minorities Development Finance Corporation (NMDFC) Loan Schemes provide concessional loans for self-employment and income generating activities for the socio-economic development of the , National Urban Livelihoods Mission, National Rural Livelihoods Mission, Deen Dayal Upadhyay – Gramin Kaushal Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana (Gramin)
Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram (PMJVK) aims to improve the socio-economic conditions and basic amenities of minorities so as to improve their quality of life and reduce imbalances in the identified Minority Concentration Areas. The major projects approved under PMJVK are in sectors of education, health and skill, and include Residential Schools, School buildings, Hostels, Degree Colleges, ITIs, Polytechnics, Sadbhav Mandaps, Health Centres, Skill Centres, Sports facilities, Drinking Water facilities, sanitation facilities etc.