The State government is reportedly contemplating to implement the economic support scheme for minorities envisaging a one time grant of ₹1 lakh grant each to beneficiaries in a phased manner.
The government is learnt to have decided to confine the benefit to around 30,000 people during the current financial year and a budget release order in this direction is said to be under preparation. “The scheme will begin with 30,000 people to start with. It may go up subsequently,” a senior Finance department official told The Hindu.
Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has announced the launch of the scheme providing ₹1 lakh assistance with 100 % subsidy to minorities on the lines of Backward Classes on recently and orders to this effect were issued on July 23. Guidelines for the selection of beneficiaries under the scheme had been issued.
The State government had set August 14 as deadline for the Christian minorities to submit their applications for receiving the benefit while the government received over two lakh applications from the Muslim minorities seeking financial assistance during the past few months. Minorities Welfare Secretary Syed Omar Jaleel said applications that were received in the previous financial year would be considered for the sanction of 100% direct subsidy during the current fiscal.
Accordingly, applications would be scrutinised and the applications of beneficiaries whose applications match the criterion issued in the guidelines would be sorted out for extending assistance. Finance department has been tasked with the responsibility of putting in place the necessary financial resources for the scheme. The department is struggling hard to raise resources required for the scheme which follows announcement of similar assistance to artisans among the Backward Classes for which the government issued budget release order of ₹500 crore, covering 50,000 eligible artisans during the current year..