The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Focus on literacy, education, Jayalalithaa tells Wakf Boards

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Nov 16, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Focus on literacy, education, Jayalalithaa tells Wakf Boards

Special Correspondent

Government to raise monthly pension for Ulemas to Rs. 750

CHENNAI: Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Tuesday said that given the pluralistic nature of Indian society, unity of the country could be preserved only by a vibrant secular ethic.

Inaugurating the national conference of State Wakf Boards here, she said, "My vision is to build a modern Tamil Nadu as a progressive, egalitarian society, providing space for all irrespective of caste and creed and preserving its pre-eminence as a peaceful, tranquil and progressive State." All these should reinforce the feeling of security among minorities and stand out as a symbol of religious, cultural and linguistic harmony.

She called upon all State Wakf Boards to focus on expansion of literacy, education and imparting life skills, particularly to Muslim women. Real progress of the community could be achieved only through education.

Welfare schemes

Highlighting the welfare schemes for Muslims, she said the monthly pension for 1,804 Ulemas would be enhanced to Rs. 750 from Rs. 500 immediately. It would cost the exchequer Rs. 1.80 crores a year.

The Government had sanctioned construction of a new Rs. 1.20-crore office building for the Tamil Nadu Wakf Board (TNWB), to enable it to perform its administrative functions well, Ms. Jayalalithaa said. The board's financial position had been set right and its revenues had grown to Rs. 1.60 crores.

She said Muslims all over India were concerned at the loss of property of the Wakfs. A survey was undertaken in the State to identify the original extent of Wakf properties. "... My Government will provide all necessary assistance to protect Wakf properties in Tamil Nadu and will render all support to retrieve the encroached land of Wakfs, so that the original charitable purpose of the Wakfs is fully realised."

Listing welfare measures for Muslims, Ms. Jayalalithaa said Rs. 2.10 crores was sanctioned for renovating mosques and dargahs and providing grants for constructing compound walls and barbed wire fencing around burial grounds. A sum of Rs.18.50 lakhs had been earmarked for office automation and computerisation of the TNWB's head office and zonal offices and Rs. 6 lakhs towards payment of maintenance to needy divorced Muslim women.

Under the entrepreneurial development programme, 1,000 Muslim youth were being trained, she said. Each of them would be given a loan up to Rs. 25,000 for self-employment ventures.

Industrial cooperative societies for the benefit of Muslim autorickshaw drivers had been formed in Coimbatore, Tirunelveli and Vellore. A total of 121 Muslim youth were recently given loans to the tune of Rs. 1.01 crores for purchasing auto-rickshaws.

A total of 45,979 Muslim women have been enrolled in self-help groups (SHGs).

As part of economic rehabilitation measures in Coimbatore in the aftermath of the serial bomb blasts in 1998, the Government distributed Rs. 37.66 lakhs as loans to 322 SHGs formed exclusively for Muslim women and 140 mixed groups with Muslim women as members in the district, she said.

Ms. Jayalalithaa released the TNWB's report. It was received by Labour Minister P. Annavi.

Bader Sayeed, chairperson, TNWB, highlighted the achievements of the board in the last four years.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Tamil Nadu