The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : West Bengal to consider quota for Muslims

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jun 25, 2007
ePaper

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

West Bengal to consider quota for Muslims

Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD: On the lines of Andhra Pradesh, the CPI (M) Government in West Bengal would consider reservations to Muslims after getting a report from the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) on the socio-economic-educational backwardness of the community.

West Bengal Minister for Minorities Welfare and Madarsa Education Abdus Sattar told a news conference here on Sunday that the report from the Kolkata-based institute was expected in three or four months.

He said a political decision to extend four per cent reservations to Muslims was already taken by the Central Committee of CPI (M). In line with the decision, the party would approach the Centre to make reservations to Muslims a national policy within the Constitutional framework, Mr. Sattar added.

The West Bengal Minister said his Government had decided to implement a sub-plan for minorities by allocating a 15 per cent additional budget wherever required. The Government had also decided to digitalise records of wakf properties and had entrusted the work to Price Water Cooper House by sanctioning Rs. 80 lakh.

Discussing the minorities welfare programmes in West Bengal, Mr. Sattar said a second Haj House was proposed to be constructed near Kolkata airport. The State Government had accorded the status of secondary board to the Board of Madarsa Education. An administrative building was being constructed at a cost of Rs. five crore for the board at Salt Lake.

Mr. Sattar added that district-wise surveys on human resource development were being conducted, particularly to study socio-economic backwardness of minorities. Reports of Purulia and Malda districts were already received. The Government had decided to convert four madarsas into universities. One of them was 227-year old Calcutta Madarsa which was started by first Governor General of British India, Warren Hastings.

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

Andhra Pradesh