Dehradun: Ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna has announced a slew of initiatives for the minority community, including job and educational schemes.
The announcements made yesterday included a minority self-employment scheme, teaching of Urdu in schools and colleges and setting up of a minorities development fund among others, an official release quoting Bahuguna said.
The state government will also provide loans at the rate of 6 per cent to minority youths for starting their own business, Bahuguna said.
He said arrangements will be made for teaching of Urdu in schools from Class 6 to 12 and the language will soon be taught at two government colleges in minority concentrated areas of Udham Singh Nagar and Haridwar.
Facilities like Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan will be extended to the Madarsas registered with Uttarakhand Madarsa Board and the eligible registered Madarsas will also get assistance for Mid Day Meal scheme.
"Facilities like free text books, annual grant of Rs 5,000 for primary, Rs 7000 for upper primary classes and a study material grant of Rs 500 will be provided," he said.
In addition, a grant of Rs 25,000 for rural areas and that of Rs 21,206 for urban areas will be given to girls belonging to minority BPL families for their further studies.
A minority development fund with a corpus of Rs 25 crore will be set up and appropriate steps will be taken for development and conservation of Waqf properties located in the state, Bahuguna said.
The famous shrine of Kaliyar Sharif will be developed on the pattern of Ajmer Sharif Dargah, for which the tourism department is preparing a detailed project report to be sent to the Centre for approval, he said.
Asserting that the construction of Haj House at Kaliyar will be completed at the earliest, he said the remaining grant of Rs 4 crore for the same will be sanctioned soon.
PTI
