Hyderabad: Stating that the UPA government
was committed to the welfare of minorities, Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh, in a letter to Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind, said that
there was a need to create "broad-based national consensus on
the issue of reservations to the Muslim community."
Responding to a memorandum submitted by Jamiat
Ulama-I-Hind, the Prime Minister in a letter to the
organisation`s National President Moulana Qari Mohammed Osman
said the government is committed to the welfare of the
minorities in the country, according to a release sent by
Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind, Andhra Pradesh unit here today.
There was a need for broad-based national consensus to
move forward on the issue of reservations to the Muslim
community, the Prime Minister said.
Highlighting the measures taken up for the welfare of
the Muslim community, Singh said the budget of the Ministry of
Minority Affairs has gone up from Rs 500 crore in 2007 to
Rs 2600 in 2010-11.
He said that every year more than 20 lakh students
belonging to minority communities were given scholarships to
study in schools, colleges and universities.
The Prime Minister has said more than Rs 2000 crore
have been sanctioned for special development plans in over 80
minority concentrated districts in the country, the release
said.
PTI
