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Tamil Nadu

Minority panel pat for district administration

Special Correspondent

Micro credit loans totalling Rs. 75 lakh to be distributed

Photo: M. Sathyamoorthy

Praise for good work: The Chairman, Minorities Commission, Vincent Chinnadurai (second left), addressing a meeting in Udhagamandalam on Wednesday. —

Udhagamandalam: The interest being shown by the district administration in safeguarding the interests of the minorities and minority institutions in the Nilgiris was commendable, said the Chairman of the State Minorities Commission, Vincent Chinnadurai, while addressing a press conference here on Wednesday.

Progressive

Describing the Nilgiris as a progressive district, he said that it was a model for others. During the current year, micro credit loans totalling Rs. 75 lakh, individual loans worth Rs. 55 lakh and educational loans worth Rs. 10 lakh would be given.

Stating that during the interaction of the Commission with representatives of minorities no major grievances had been aired, he said that the Commission will visit the Nilgiris again to look into the problems of educational institutions.

Reservation policy

To a query he said that there was nothing to worry on the safety front for the minorities in Tamil Nadu. Mr. Chinnadurai wondered how anyone can question the reservation policy of the State Government when there was one at the national level.

Claiming that only about 5 per cent of the Christians were affluent, he said that even that was not the case among the Muslims.

Rights

The Commission had not received any complaints of a serious nature from linguistic minorities in the State, he said and added that if representations were received from the Badagas of the Nilgiris or tribal communities regarding their rights or benefits, they would be taken up with the government.

Discussions

Earlier, Mr. Chinnadurai and Commission members held discussions with officials and some people belonging to minority communities.

Among those present were the Nilgiris Collector Anandrao V. Patil and the Superintendent of Police, Vidya D. Kulkarni.

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