Showing posts with label Kurnool. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kurnool. Show all posts

Sunday, March 04, 2007

MiM Floor Leader Akbaruddin Owaisi Speech On Budget in Andhra Pradesh State Assembly

Majlis e Ittehadul Mulsimeen Floor Leader Akbaruddin Owaisi



MiM Floor Leader Akbaruddin Owaisi Speech On Budget in Andhra Pradesh State Assembly.


Speaker Sir, first and foremost I would like to congratulate the Honble Finance Minister Sri K Rosaiah Saab for successfully containing the revenue deficit and achieving a net surplus of Rs 25 crores in the ensuring financial year he has promised to contain the net deficit in the next financial year to Rs 33 crores. Even while steeping up the overall expenditure substantially to Rs 80,996 crores, including Rs 48,023 crores under non plan and Rs 32,973 crores under plan, the revenue deficit would be a mere 0.01 percent of the Gross State Domestic Product. The fiscal deficit would be only three percent of the G.S.D.P. Out of the total expenditure of Rs 80,996 crores, the state annual plan outlay has been fixed at Rs 30,018 crores which marks a 53 percent increase over the current years plan outlay of Rs 19,557 crore.it is a matter of satisfaction that allocations for irrigation projects ,housing education, health and welfare sectors have been increased substantially. It is the fourth budget of the congress government after it regained power in the state in the 2004 assembly elections it is also the fourth budget presented by the Finance Minister Sri Rosaiah under the stewardship of Honble Chief Minister Dr Y S Rajashekar Reddy .the successive budgets since 2004 have been formulated to fulfill the promise set out in the congress poll manifesto and the priorities set out by the present government.

The Finance Minister has been quoted as saying by the media after presenting the budget that o quote” I am not building castles in the air, I am very realistic it is reality a historic and progressive budget we have not changed the priorities nor neglected and sectors, the Honble Chief Minister has also hailed the budget for 2007-2008 as a path breaking, development focused, welfare oriented and growth accelerated budget

It is true that the present government has successfully managed the states economy ,which has moved from democracy to the state of prosperity .Although Budget expenditure is increasing every year, the revenue and fiscal deficits have been brought down substantially more important , for the third successive year , the congress government has not resorted to any overdraft from the reserve bank of India for a single day which is a good sign of fiscal prudence and discipline and sound cash management by the finance minister.

In 2007-2008, the Finance Minister has budgeted for total receipts of Rs 81,021 crores and total expenditure of Rs 80,996 crores ,leaving a modest surplus of Rs 25 crores .however taking into account ,the negative opening balance of Rs 58 crores ,the next financial year will close with a deficit of Rs 33 crores in other words ,the finance minister has budgeted for a substantial increase of rs19,438 crores in total revenue and Rs 19,443 crores in total expenditure in the next financial year compared to this years figures revenue receipts alone are expected to go up by Rs 9803 crores so also revenue expenditure bis budgeted to go up by Rs 9786 crores similarly, substantial increases are envisaged under the capital expenditure and loans and advances.

It would appear that estimates of revenue receipts by the Finance Minister are on the higher side. doubts are expressed in some quarters about the ability of the government to raise additional revenue of Rs 8700 crores from the sale of government lands and properties alone in the current year ,the government has realized Rs 1350 crores from this source as per revised estimate I would like the Finance Minister to provide us details as to how he proposes to raise Rs 8700 crores from sale of lands and the places where the government seeks to auction the lands and the upset price per acre for the proposed auctions I am sorry to the state that the state government has turned as a real estate business, selling the lands and generating revenue out of it but ,the question which arises is that previously also lot of precious land of Telangana were auctioned when the Honble Minister gives reply to my question , I would like to know as to how much extent of Telangana land was auctioned and what was the money generated from that auction and how many of the money was spent on the Telangana region and in particular the Hyderabad and Secunderabad cities the money is generated by auction but it is so unfortunate that the money is spent again on the prosperous region of the state i.e. the Andhra region. Another alarming aspect of the state budget is the increasing public debt of the state the public debt is estimated to go up to Rs 86,464 crores by march 31,2008 from Rs 77,952 crores this year, representing and increase of Rs 8512 crores at this rate the state outstanding public debt is likely to swell to Rs 100000 crores by 2008-2009 ,if I am wrong I may be corrected when the Finance Minister gives his reply when the congress government will complete its five year term it is going to be Rs 100000 crores also sir, contemplating to ensure that the state does not slip in to a virtual debt position that we believe in laying a healthy opposition role. If there is anything that is against the people of the state, we believe in healthy opposing and playing a healthy opposition role for that .if there is any good and better decision for the betterment of the people, we are here to appreciate that, sir, I would like to come on record and appreciate the allocation which has been made for the Minorities in the budget by the Finance Minister.

The allocations for Minorities welfare has been stepped up from Rs 69 crores in the current financial year to Rs 123.67 crores in the next financial year including Rs 120 crores under the plan and Rs 3.677 crores under no plan .The plan allocations include Rs 80 crores for scholarships .Rs 20 crores for reimbursement of tuition fees ,Rs 10 crores for investment in AP State Minorities Finance Corporation and another Rs 10 crores for other minorities related bodies including AP State Wakf Board , AP State Minorities Commission and AP Urdu Academy .The non plan allocations include 94 lakhs for Minorities welfare Department at the Secretariat ,Rs159 lakhs for Commissionartre of Minorities welfare, Rs 12 lakhs for Minorities Commission ,Rs 3 lakhs for Darut Maarif ,Rs 16 lakh for the upkeep of Mecca Masjid and royal Mosque ,Rs 8 lakhs for administration of Wakfs and Rs 33 lakhs for Wakf tribunal .Now the question that I would like to bring to the notice of the Finance Minister is that the in planned allocation is very less and that is the reason why in spite of having funds and the students applying for scholarships ,the scholarships are not being disbursed to the students because there is no infrastructural facilities for instance sir, if you take the example of Hyderabad district, the Hyderabad Minority Welfare Corporation Office ,i.e. the district Head Office does not have the table and chair ,it is such a pathetic state that they do not have the telephone connection they do not have the computer system also .the money is there ,the application are there ,the students are waiting but the scholarships are not been disbursed until now .As the academic year is coming to the closure and the students are going for the examination but still the scholarships have not yet been disbursed . The non plan allocation needs to be increased .I hope that the Finance Minister would look into this.The Scholarships and fees reimbursement for minorities at pre and post metric levels have been enhanced to Rs 100 crores in the next financial year .The allocation for scholarships for minority students would be around Rs 80 crores and the allocation for reimbursement of fees of minority students would be around Rs 20 crores .It is a long pending demand .Sir, it is my fourth Budget Speech I used to request the Government to bring the Minority scholarships on par with the BC scholarships .I thank the government that my voice was heard by they four walls of the Government and the Government has taken action in this regard and lived up to the word given by the Honble Chief Minister in this August House i.e. to bring the Minority scholarships on par with BC scholarships but at the same time ,the non plan needs to be increased in Minorities .However ,out of the Rs 80,996 crores over all budgetary expenditure the Hon ble Finance minister to be more liberal in earmarking allocations for minorities welfare but we are constrained to day that our hopes have been believed So far as staff strength is concerned, minorities welfare department has 45 officers and other personal minorities commissioner ate has 79 staffers, Minorities Commission has 15 employees and Wakf Surveys and Wakf Tribunal together have 14 staffers There is urgent need to augment the staff strength in all these offices and organizations so as to ensure their effective functioning and proper monitoring of the schemes and programmes undertaken by different organizations under the minorities welfare department.Coming to reservation aspect for the Muslims ,it is very good Sir, the government has promised and in fact the UPA chairperson Smt Sonia Gandhi had also promised 5% reservation would be given to the Muslims in the state of Andhra Pradesh .it is very sad that last Tuesday Honble Chief Minister was there in the official language commission and he came on record saying that my government is committed to give 5% reservation to the Muslims of Andhra Pradesh and on the same day the Honble Minister for Information and public relations gives the paper statement stating that the State government is contemplating to reduce the reservations for Muslims from 5% to 4% .the question that arises is that if the privilege of the house is the privilege of all the Members sitting here in this August House when the session is in progress how can a policy be declared out to the Media ? If any policy changes there with the Government, the Government should come in the house and declare that, yes the Government is thinking of reducing but as far as the Muslims and my party is concerned we say that it is the responsibility of the government to fulfill its promise of giving 5% reservations to Muslims, do not know how but, they have to give it is there look into how they will provide the 55 reservation.


Going ahead about the Wakf land ,I have mentioning repeatedly and once again I want to come on record ,the people here might think what this Akbaruddin Owaisi always keeps on mentioning the same thing Sir ,I need to mention it, need to wake up the people , I need the action because it took 3 and a half years for my voice to be heard by the four walls of the government by bringing the Muslim minority students scholarships on par with the BC scholarships Again , I come on record and say that in and around Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy districts more than 10,000 acres of land ha been allotted to Multi National Companies and all that land belongs to Wakf. The Government needs to act It is that it is for the sake of saying things I am standing here and saying all these things .This has been proved and the recorded evidence has been submitted to the District Collector . The District Collector Ranga Reddy had admitted in the meeting of the Committee on the Welfare of Minorities He admitted saying that yes, the Indian School of Business is situated on the Wakf land. He admitted and said that the Microsoft is on the Land .He admitted and said that the Wipro is on the Wakf Land. He admitted that the Urdu .University is on the Wakf Land. He admitted that the LIDCAP is also on the Wakf Land He also admitted that the entire extent of Manikonda Village of Land admeasuring 1700 acres is on the Wakf land .he also admitted that at Maheswaram where the Fab City is coming up 100 acres is Wakf land of Baba Sharufuddin Saheb Qibila Pahad .he also admitted that the Muslim maternity land is also of Wakf Land I was reading the newspapers about survey no 84 in the budget speech of the Honble Finance Minister and in the governors address. in the honble Chief Minister reply it is said that the land at Gachibowli would be auctioned and that also belongs to the Wakf .Wakf deed is there Legal battle is going on .the government is now taking action to allot the land to HUDA to auction that land .the same thing has happened if we have to see Dargha Ishaq Madani .in the supreme court a petition was filed and the case came up for gearing in Civil Appeal No. 4372 of 1985 and judgment was given confirming that an extent of 5,308 acres of Dargha Hazrath Ishaq Madani .In Vizag taluq and district as service Inam Land .Out of that land of 5,308 acres 3500 acres of land were alienated and allotted to Hindujas ,HPCL,NTPCand other various institutions. One thousand acres of land was allotted at the rate of Rs 2.5 lakhs per acre and the rest of the land was acquired at the rate of only 25,000 per acre. The question arises is why one thousand acres of land was acquired at the rate of Rs 2.5 lakhs per acre. If the entire extent of land would have been acquired at the rate of Rs 2.5 lakhs per acre then the A.P State Minorities Finance Corporation or the Wakf board would have got Rs 78 crores instead of Rs 78 crores only an amount of Rs 20 crores was given to the Wakf board .Out of that amount of only the Hajj House was constructed and no State financial assistance was provided for construction of the Hajj House .Sir, through you I request the Government to please look into the matter and release the balance amount. I would like to go on record and mention that I was just going through the internet on February 19th I got one piece of paper I would like to know what the Government has acted on this.

Sir, the Ministry of Rural Development Government of India has revised the IAY guidelines for making provision for earmarking funds for BPL Minorities in each state An amount of Rs 581.20 crores has been earmarked for the Minorities during the current financial year under IAY for construction of Rs 2.30 lakh houses .The district wise allocations and targets are to be decided by each state on the basis of concentration of minorities in the districts .Targets have to be achieved only on the existing allocations For each district no additional funds are provided .Further ,under Sampoorna Grameena Rojgar Yojana an amount of Rs 290 crores has been provided .Out of that amount some allocation has been made for Andhra Pradesh .In Andhra Pradesh the funds earmarked for minorities is Rs 476 lakhs .My question is that what has happened about the central Government funds have these funds been released by the Central Government and whether the funds have been received by the state government ? If the funds have been reached what the state government has done in this regard? No properties are well guarded and if the Wakf properties are well utilized then the minorities would not need any assistance from the Government .They have there ample resources and so much of expensive lands are there. They have been encroached . Zamina Masjid in Medak district is an example ,In Narsapur the extent of land is 80 acres. It is a graveyard. The Court has also given orders for eviction .But the Wakf Board is not acting upon it. Bus Stand is there on the Wakf and , Junior College is there on the Wakf land Degree College is there on the Wakf Land . It is a government college. The Government can have a lease agreement with the Wakf Board and give rent to the Wakf Board. In Narsingi in Medak District Jamia Masjid is there .In Narsampally 400acres of Wakf land is there .For that land pattas have been issued and it is encroached .Jamia Masjid in King Market in Kurnool Town in Kurnool District is another example .The total are you would be surprised of 500 aces is having encroachers .There some land is available and the Wakf Board and the government should act immediately and safeguard that land also .In Kurnool District Budda Baddi Masjid is there in Kullur Village and Mandal and the extent is 89 acres. House plots are being made and the house plots are given .Nizamabad Sarai is there .In Nizamabad beside the railway station a very prime Wakf property has been encroached .In Vishakaptnam Alamgiri Mosque 2100 acres of Wakf Land is there under the resumption of the district collector for the last 25 years .the question is that when the supreme court has given judgment why the collector is holding these 2100 acres of prime land of Wakf? Ishaq Madani Dargah is there and 7,000 acres of land is there which I have mentioned .In Aleru where electronic city is coming up 1300 acres of Wakf land is there. The Government issued orders for acquisition of that land alienating that land to some intuitions .This should be stopped .The Wakf Property should at least be best utilized fort he welfare of the Muslim minority community and it should also see that what was Mousha of the person who has Wakfed that land for But there is nobody to safeguard and protest these lands .I request through u the government to please reconstitute the Wakf Board and have some dedicated and committed workers there so that they can safeguard the Wakf Properties.

Sir, about Urdu Language the state government declared Urdu as second official language in 15 districts .12 posts of district minority welfare officers have been created But, in actual implementation the situation is very apathetic Only five posts out of 15 posts have been filled up .In other districts additional charge arrangements have been made with Urdu knowing personal .They are not at all capable of serving the local Muslims in Urdu schools _ I have been repeatedly bringing to the notice of the government _that a large number of vacancies have been kept unfilled .consequently there is no enrolment of students .in the morning hour also I have raised the same issue about the Urdu junior colleges and degree colleges .the strength of sections is reducing because of the reason that there is no ample teaching staff and because no pointed textbooks are available this needs to be addressed the Government must take sincere steps to break this vicious circle.

Sir, I would like the Finance Minister to spell out as to which organization will be designated as the nodal agency for disbursement of scholarships and reimbursement of fees to the minority students .Presently, the scholarships are being disbursed to the minority students through the AP Minorities Finance Corporation in Andhra Pradesh Urdu Academy . Sir, sufficient staff needs to be sanctioned for the nodal agency, which will disburse the scholarships and reimburse the fees.

Sir, the 78% increase in the allocation of the minorities’ welfare appears to be impressive at the first look. But, this increase has to be seen in the context of the small pace of allocation for the purpose Moreover ,the allocation for the minorities welfare is totally inadequate the minorities constitute 11% of the state population it is a modest increase .I beg for more allocation for the welfare of SC, STs and BCs .in terms of percentage the fact is that in absolute terms the increase in the allocation for the next year comes to an Rs 165 crores for SCs ,and Rs 38 crores for STs and Rs143 crores for BCs .is this the allocation for these weaker sections of society who are provided with statutory reservation? In education and public employment the allocation should be more higher .at the same time, we demand that the allocation for the minorities should be raised at least Rs 500 crores for this year so that the government could re double its efforts for the social economic and educational Upliftment pf the minorities who are stripped in poverty, illiteracy and ill health. We welcome the announcement of the Finance Minister of the decision of the Chief Minister for raising the scholarships at the rates on par with BCs. in the case of minorities as many as 3.5 lakh minority students would be benefited from the scheme in the next financial year. We also welcome the announcement of the Finance minister saying that 43 training centers have been established in the state to train 9600 minority youth annually in computer education and desktop publishing in Urdu Language. I also would like to bring to the notice of the Government – is anybody is listening –one thing the suggestion which I would like to make is that the AP State Minorities Finance Corporation owns many number of training programmes like hardware training ,software training and motor training and these are all petty. Sir through you, I request the Government to please help the Minorities finance Corporation to have some training centers of gems and jewelry or apparels or with regard to Fab City, which is coming it will be useful for the minorities .They should make sure that all the students coming for training in these centers are recruited by the Apparel Park or the Gem & Jewelry Park or by the Fab City. This would generate employment for the minority youth and our people will be very happy if this is accepted by the Government.
The Government is setting up 12 new hostels for the minority students and new residential coaching centers to pay minority students for computer education .I would like to point out that the Honble Chief Minister has promised 36 more hostels for the minority students .I would like the Finance Minister to spell out the time frame when those 36 hostels would become functional .All this is good But, there is urgent need for the Government to redouble its efforts for the Upliftment of the minorities who constitute 1/10th of the State population.

Sir, the Finance Minister mentioned about the projects being taken up in Hyderabad including the Outer Ring Road at an outlay of Rs 4,000 crores, express highway project at an outlay of Rs 600 crores and the Mass Rapid Transport System and the Metro Rail Project at an outlay of Rs 8760 crores .he also announced a master plan for upgrading the sewage system in Hyderabad which would be implemented form the next year at accost of Rs 4442 crores. Sir, in order to ease traffic congestion the finance minister announced construction of outer Ring Road with an outlay of Rs 4000 crores and MARTS at an estimate of Rs 8760 crores but, there is no mention of what is the time frame and what is the yearly budget allocation and what is the state share if it is a Centrally financed scheme .There is however, a budget provision of Rs 26.22 crores during the current year budget. The question which needs to be addressed and to be replied by the Hon’ble Finance Minister is that according to my information –I may be wrong –the Company will provide 60%, the Central Government will provide 20% and the state Government will provide 20% When the state Government is going to provide 20%? The 20%of the amount of Rs 8760 crores would work out to Rs 360 crores for this year .The allocation should have been Rs 360 crores, But Sir; the allocation is only Rs 26.22crores I hope the Finance Minister would give a reply in this regard. I want to mention about the traffic problems in the Hyderabad City .It is very sad to say for the last three years this august house has been witnessing a hue and cry .The Hon’ble Members are raising traffic problems of the City, The statistics are given but the government has never concentrated on this aspect .Hyderabad and Secunderabad cities have only 6% of roads .Any planned City needs to have at least a minimum of 18% of roads But, we have only 6% of road. We have only 434 junctions and it is very sad to say that out of 434 junctions only 98 have signals .The staff is retiring .40% of the staff has retired. New staff has not yet, been appointed New, new shaadikhanas are coming up. Fly –over being taken up. Simply we give the name of Fly Over But, they are not flyovers They are Just Overbridges going from here to there .Fly over means you are flying in the air and going in different directions But, it is not happening We need to have Proper Planning. During the Monsoon whenever we have little bit of down-pour what we see is that Hyderabad City is converted into a City of temporary lakes each and every cross –roads and chowrastes Because the drain system has totally collapsed .Nobody is taking any initiative Bangalore the infrastructure has collapsed .If the Multi Nationals are turning and looking towards Hyderabad because of the reason that the infrastructure has collapsed in Bangalore. Now if we do not look into the aspect of providing a free passage on the roads and free movement of traffic and the Police signaling and management of the City infrastructure then I think the multi nationals would like to go away from Hyderabad to some to other lace. I hope the Government will address this issue o the same line as they have addressed the irrigation projects of the State.

Sir, about Greater Hyderabad our party opposes the e action and the proposal of Greater Hyderabad .The people should not think that we are opposing it because politically the MiM would be at loss. No ,Sir, at present in the MCH when we see the percentage of the minorities ,SCs, STs and BCs the strength of the Muslims and the MiM is just the same when Greater Hyderabad s going to come into force .As of now 38% of Muslims are there .If Greater Hyderabad comes the population is going to be 41% .I am sure it is not going a political loss But, it is going to be a loss and the collapse of the infrastructure .The question arises is that when I was elected for the first time for the Assembly I used to sit here and I had heard DrY S Rajashekar Reddy speaking against the proposal of Greater Hyderabad when the TDP Government wanted to bring in Greater Hyderabad .I fail to understand that when a leader sitting here has ad different policy and different programme and when the leader goes there the policy and the programme and thinking automatically change. The TDP regime at that time said it was right and again they understood it and withdrew it .The Congress Party, which opposed Greater Hyderabad, wants Greater Hyderabad now .What happened about Greater Delhi Smt Sheila Dixit, in a conference went on record and said that Greater Delhi concept has failed and it has not served the purpose the Government thought and the Delhi Government is thinking of withdrawing Greater Delhi .About Mumbai Municipality what happened? Navi Mumbai has been made another municipality .They again broke Greater Mumbai concept With regard to Bangalore what we are seeing ? The infrastructure is totally collapsing. The greater concept is failing .The same thing is going to happen with regard to Greater Hyderabad also. We want to make the present Hyderabad great not bringing in others and trying to give the name of ‘great’. Whatever we have now we should use the resources .We have a staff, which is very less and again going ahead the Finance Minister has made an allocation to the Municipal and Urban Development Department .The budget has been increased to Rs 2438 crores. The Honble Chief Minister has recently announced a special package for the Old City of Hyderabad with and outlay of Rs 2235 crores for the next three years .I would like the Finance Minister to spell out the various heads of accounts and schemes under which allocations have been made for the Old city package in the next year’s budget. Why I am saying this is because a month back a leading Newspaper quoted that a special package has been declared but the package will not be implemented .The Paper went on record and said that if they Government starts one work or allocated hundred crores of rupees for the Old City it would give sweets to the whole of the Old City .The people think that it is a package just on a paper. It will not be practically implemented. Sir, Now about JNNURM. Lot of funds have been allocated as State Share, I would like the Finance Minister to spell out as to how much would be given to the Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad for the implementation of Old City package. The State Budget has also earmarked Rs 7.84 crores including Rs 2.84 crores for salaries and administrative expenses for Quli Qutub Shah Authority and an amount of Rs 5 crores for capital works which is wonderfully inadequate ,I would say .I would like to make a suggestion with regard to Old City special package announced by the Honble Chief Minister . Hyderabad District Collector, Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad and Hyderabad Urban Development Authority should be strengthened by conferring the statutory status of an Urban Development Authority .Adequate staff powers and financial allocations should be made to QQSUDA for overseeing the implementation of the Old City special package.

Sir, I would like to draw the kind attention of the Honble Finance Minister to the serious problems being faced by the poor people in the Old City of Hyderabad. In the last few years particularly the Telugu Desam rule, Discom officials had put the residents of the Old City to lot of harassment on the pretext of power pilferage. Also, huge fines were imposed on these poor consumers for alleged violations. This way, even though the consumers in the Old City paid there power bills. The penalties and fines imposed on them for alleged violations mounted with penal interest. So, the so-called arrears of power bills have reached several crores of rupees.

Sir, I may recall the agitation taken up by the Congress, MiM and other parties against the then Telugu Desam Government when the power tariff was hiked exorbitantly in the year 2000.In the name of power sector reforms the previous Government placed huge burden on power consumers and put them to hardships . After coming to power, the Congress Government waived the power arrears of farmers to the tune of Rs 1200 crores, apart from providing free power to agricultural pump-sets .Recently, the State Government has waived the power arrears of SC/ST colonies in the State. I therefore request the Honble Finance Minister to consider waiver of electricity bill arrears of the poor consumers in the Old City of Hyderabad and also withdraw the thousands of cases booked against them.

Sir, a detailed analysis of the Budget papers shows that the Government has provided Rs 68.73 crores to the Municipal Corporation Of Hyderabad towards salaries, payment of property tax on Government properties compensation towards vehicle tax, octroi and property tax concessions, urban community expenditure and proceeds of profession tax .Besides, the plan allocations of Rs 31.22 crores include Rs 5 crores for MMTS and Rs 26.22 crores for Metro Rail.
According to press reports, there is no comparison between the amount due to MCH and the amount actually paid .Last year a sum of Rs 107.50 crores was due to MCH, but in effect a sum of Rs 32 Finance Minister to release the entire amount allocated to the MCH to implement their expansion programme . The Government should also follow the norms Of allocation from the tax collections. The Hyderabad Urban Development Authority gets budgetary allocation of Rs 99.15 crores including Rs 80 crore for the outer ring road and Rs 19.15 crores for Mega city project. Similarly, the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board has been provided budgetary allocations of Rs 368 crores, including Rs 130 crores for Krishna water supply scheme, Rs 100 crores for water supply master plan, Rs 20 crores for Musi project and Rs 10 crores for sewerage works. I would request the Finance Minister to give the details of the allocations made for the MCH, HUDA and other civic agencies, under the centrally sponsored schemed such as Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission and Swarna Jayanthi Shahari Rozgar Yojana and the state schemes like INDIRAMMA.

Sir, about the drinking water supply to twin cities .The present requirement of water now supplied is 260 mgd.Presently there are certain areas in Old City and other parts of twin cities where there are no pipeline serving. They are 220 such areas and 100 of them are in Old City only. If these areas are also covered, the total estimated requirement would be 356mgd.
At present the supply is 215 mgd and there is a shortfall of nearly141mgd .because of the poor distribution infrastructure we are not able to draw Krishna water to the full capacity. At present there are 80 reservoirs and 13 new reservoirs are sanctioned, but their work has not yet commenced. The Honble Chief Minister while replying to motion of thanks to the Governors Address announced that under 3rd phase, Krishna water will not be drawn and that we will tap Godavaris water .The question here is that when there is no Budget allocation for that purpose, even if we bring Godavari water, it may not be sufficient for the twin cities for the present .what would be the fate f drinking water if Hyderabad is made Greater Hyderabad and when Fab City also comes up? If we compare with other metros Cities in India, Hyderabad stands at the bottom regarding the daily water supply, For example, it is 4 hours per day in Mumbai, Bangalore and Pune 12hours in Chennai and kolkata, 2to 24 hours in Delhi, 24hours in Ahmedabad and 6hours in Mysore. In Hyderabad we get alternate day water supply, that too not even for one hour .The pressure are also very low .How can we give 24 hours water supply? This is the question, which needs to be addressed .24 hours water supply means we need 500mgd.The present reservoir in the city are in 80 in number, the capacity of which is only 200 mld (millions liters per day).For this purpose 24 hours supply, Hyderabad Metro Water Supply & Sewerage Board has submitted a proposal for Rs 6200 crores to the Central Government .For 24 hours supply we need Rs 6200 crores .I would like to know what is the allocation made in the Budget for 24 hours water Supply. Nothing is made .Only you address on the paper.

Sir, I just need some time .I am sure the Finance Minister is aware of the poor condition of Government school buildings in the twin cities ,more so in the Old City .Most of the libraries and laboratories. I would like the Finance Minister to take special care of the needs of the schools in twin cities in terms of basic amenities. Both under Sarva Siksha Abhiyan programme and Kasturba Gandhi Balika Gurukula Vidayalaya Scheme, more educational facilities for the minorities need to be created.

Sir, through you I would like to request the Finance Minister to see that in the districts where Urdu has been declared as the second official language, 20% of the amount allocated to Sarva Siksha Abhiyan is compulsorily spent on Urdu medium schools, as it is very necessary to do so.

Sir, the D.S.C entrance was conducted last year after three years, but till now no appointments are made in the year 2006, Government identified 60000 vacancies of teacher’s posts, but DSC notification was issued for 17000 posts only. The Government has not filled up 20000 posts though more than 80000 sanctioned teachers posts are lying vacant in the State . Approximately in the State nearly 1.50 crores students are enrolled in the schools. as per norms the students –teacher ratio is 1:30,ie there should be one teacher for every thirty students .now in the state of Andhra Pradesh as per norms the number of teachers required is 5 lakhs ,whereas the present strength is only 2.20 lakhs. We need 5 lakh teachers according to the present enrolment of the students in various schools .If we see the figure of enrolment for the year 2005 and again 2006, in Government schools the enrolment has risen from 8, 99,831 to 9, 26,459 and in Zilla Parishad it has risen from 76 lakh .In Municipal schools it was 4 lakhs and the same has risen to 8 lakhs, .The total strength of enrolment of students is increasing, but the staff is not increasing. The State Government is providing pensions for the aged, widows, handicapped and others who are unable to fend for themselves .In the Current year about 9 lakh new pensions have been sanctioned under INDRAMMA scheme. The Finance Minister says that the beneficiaries comprised 18% SCs, 8.5%Sts and 49% BCs .I would like the Finance Minister to spell out the proportion of beneficiaries belonging to the minorities, because it has been spelt out in the Budget Speech.

Sir, the most important thing, which I would like to mention, is land prices. The land prices in the City of Hyderabad and also the State are going up .I would like to draw the attention of the Finance Minister to the long standing demand for repeal of the Urban Land Ceiling Act, which failed to achieve its laudable objective .I understand that the State Government is contemplating to repeal Urban Land Ceiling Act, almost eight years after the Central Act was abolished by the NDA Government .Barring Five States ,Andhra Pradesh ,Assam, Bihar, Maharashtra and West Bengal ,all other repealed the Act. In request that the Urban Land Ceiling Act, should be withdrawn. It should be repealed because it has not served the purpose for which it was brought.

Sir , about the white ration cards. The house will be surprised if I read out the figures while appreciating the Government action in enumerating all deserving families and seeing to it that every poor family received a white ration card. I would like to draw attention of the honble Finance Minister to a press report that were 1.24 crores of white ration cards which have now been increased to 1.63 crores .A sum of Rs 1051 crores is needed to supply just rice to all these white ration card –holders .The Officials say that the present allocation is sufficient for 7 and a half months only .What will happen to these card –holders for the remaining 4and a half months? The budget allocation is so less ration cards increased but ration shops have not increased.

Sir, about the pink ration cards. I heard Sri Krishna Reddy saying that pink ration card is of no use at all .Yes, Pink ration card is getting used for only one purpose i.e. for bailing out the criminals from the court .Nothing else .No coupons have been given for the pink card-holders People are suffering for want of gas cylinders and kerosene .What is the Kerosene quota given per family in Gujarat State? What is the per capita share of Andhra Pradesh? I have the fugures, but the time is not there
Sir, regarding the Jalayagnam programme, I would like to remind the Finance Minister that in his first budget, he had pointed out that 26b projects would be completed within five years including eight projects within the first two years .I am afraid there has been a time –overrun and the Government could not complete the eight projects in two years and it is unlikely to complete them within thee years too.
There is a need for the Government to expedite the work of irrigation projects, more practically in Telangana Region. The need to strengthen the canals and tank system in Telanagana is most important because most of the irrigation depends on tanks and canal system
Regarding the Telanagana University in Nizamabad ,it is lacking basic facilities for its functioning More Allocations should be made for this University .the process of Establishing another University in Telanagana ,either at Nalgonda or Mahboobnagar should be expedited, Jawahar Knowledge Centers were conceived to impart training to the rural based students. The Finance Minister has announced that the JKC concept would be extended to all degree colleges in the future .Before this is done, I would request the Finance Minister to extend the JKC scheme to the minority –run professional colleges all over the State so as to provide gainful employment to students graduating from these Colleges.

Sir, as far as Telangana is concerned ,Telanagana has always been neglected and injustice has been delivered again and again by any Government for the region to the people of Telanagana .the sentiments of Telanagana are now used for only getting the power .Telanagana region i.e., the erstwhile Hyderabad State was surplus state .After merger into Andhra ,the Telanagan region became backward region .It has been three years that this House has been witnessing debates on recommendations of Girglani Commission and GO.NO.610 Why is the Government taking so much time to implement the G.O.610? It needs to be implemented .whether it is encounters, again it is the people of Telangana who are suffering .Whether it is atrocities, it is Telangana people who are suffering .There are two important issues, which needs to be addressed by the Government before the end of the term .One is about reservations and the other is injustice given to the people of Telangana. Sir, three years back, to my question as to whether the Regional Development Boards would be formed .Honble Finance Minister said that they would be formed .I would like to know when the Regional Development Boards would be constituted because this year also he said that they would form the said Boards .I want to know when they would be formed. The government should learn a lesson from the outcome of today’s election results .Whether it is Punjab or Uttarakhand the main cause for the defeat of the Congress has been the price rise of essential commodities .This needs to be taken care . The Government should seriously address this problem .There is a steep rise in prices of even onion, chilies and rice. It is becoming hard and hard day by day for common man to live and this is why the Government is losing power. The Government should see what best can be done.

Sir .about Health sector I would like to point out one thing I appreciate the move of the Government for appointing new doctors, new nursing staff and other technical staff .But the sad state of affairs is that if we see that the total allocations made for the medicine,previously it was Rs 117.34 crores. But now again it is Rs 117.35 crores .The allocation for medicine needs to be enhanced it is very less for diet also. It has not been increased, but it has been reduced to 0.36%.

Sir .even the SEZ and power situation are also very bad, which need to be addressed.
Finally about the Home Department .I will go into it when I speak on Demands Later .In Hyderabad City the Crime rate is increasing .I will speak on that later .Only one thing I would like to bring on record now is that for the last 40 years there was struggle by naxalities .It is social and economic problem .I welcomed the move of the Government when they initiated talks with naxalite leaders .But forty years problem cannot be addressed in just one or two sittings .Through you I request the Government to please bring the naxalites back to the negotiating table and start talks with them.
Sir, before I conclude I would like to point out some disquieting facts about the annual plans .In the four successive budgets presented by him, the Honble Finance minister has provided record outlays for the State Annual Plans .However; there has been substantial shortfall in the annual plans in terms of actual expenditure. For instance the Finance Minister has provided Rs 13291 crores for the state plan in the 2004-2005 budget as against an outlay of Rs 12790 crores approved by the Planning Commission .The revised estimate was Rs 12825 crore,but the actual plan expenditure was only Rs 11456 crores .

Similarly, during 2005-2006, the Finance minister budgeted a state plan outlay of Rs 15651 crores against the approved outlay of the same amount .The revised estimate was Rs 13530 crores but the actual expenditure worked out to Rs 13439 crores. Thus, in the first two years of this Government, the approved plan outlay was Rs 28441 crore, the budgeted outlay was Rs 28942 crore, and revised estimate was Rs 4046 crores in terms of actual plan expenditure in these two years .You can imagine what could have been the revenue deficit and fiscal deficit of the State in these two years. If the entire budgeted plan outlays were spent perhaps, the Finance Minister would have been forced to go in for overdrafts from the Reserve Bank of India for a few days at least to overcome the resource crunch. But by quietly cutting down on the plan outlays in terms of actual expenditure, the Finance Minister has managed the State Finances.
In the Current financial year, 2006-07, the approved plan outlay is Rs 20,000 crores and the budget outlay is Rs 19,552 crores .The revised estimate is Rs 19,717 crore .I do not know what the actual expenditure will be since the Finance Department tends to curtail the budgeted plan outlays during the last two months of the financial year to cut down on overall expenditures in view of shortfall in budgeted revenue realist ion from different sources.
In the next financial year, the Finance minister has provided for an outlay of Rs 30,013 crore, which is said to the highest in the country, overtaking even Maharashtra, However the Chief Minister and the Finance minister are yet to hold the discussions with the Planning Commission to finalize the Plan size. The Planning Commission will approve the plan outlay only after making a realistic assessment of the revenues and resources of a state Government .I hope the Finance Minister will be able to get approval for a plan size of over Rs 30,000 Crores

I thank you very much for giving me this opportunity.

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

Majlis Ittehadul Muslimeen Repersenting the Prime Ministers High level Committee on Minorities Issue


MiM President Sultan Salahuddin Owaisi giving Away Bags and Money to poor Muslim Students From Mim Educational Fund.
Asaduddin Owaisi Mp and Akbaruddin Owaisi Mla representing the Prime Ministers High level committee on Minorities Issue . Date :- 04-06-05
To The Hon’ble Chairman & Members of Prime Minister’s High Level Committee New Delhli . Dear Sirs ,We welcome the visit of the Prime Minister’s High-Powered Committee on Minorities to the historic city of Hyderabad. We take the opportunity to profusely thank the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, for constituting this committee to go into the socio-economic and educational conditions of the minorities. We also express our gratitude to your esteemed chairmen and members of the Committee for giving up this opportunity to make this representation.It is a matter of satisfaction that the UPA government at the Centre and the Congress government in Andhra Pradesh have launched several initiatives aimed at amelioration of the status of minorities during their first year in office. The Congress manifesto for 2004 Assembly polls made certain promises for the overall development and well-being of minorities. Keeping this in view, we would like to make suggestions to the panel on its specific terms of reference.As you know, the minorities account for a population of 84 lakh, constituting 11.2 percent of the total population of Andhra Pradesh, as per the 2001 census. Muslims constitute the biggest minority community in the state, with a population of 70 lakh or 9.2 percent of the total population. The population of minorities is largely urban-based. Minorities constitute about nine percent of the total rural population and as high as 22 percent of the total urban population in the state.As a political party representing the hopes and aspirations of Muslim community, the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) has been striving to impress upon the successive governments to fulfill their constitutional obligations to protect the educational, economic, social and cultural rights of the minorities and work for the upliftment of their socio-economic status. The state government has laid emphasis on the progress and empowerment of minorities and many schemes and policies have been put in place to ensure this in the last two decades or more.Yet, you may agree that a large segment of Muslim population in the state, as elsewhere in the country, lives below poverty line. Their share in various economic support schemes has been very low compared to their proportion of population. Muslims in general and their womenfolk in particular are very backward—economically, educationally and socially. Thus, this single largest minority community is characterized by rampant poverty and illiteracy due to economic deprivation, educational backwardness and social discrimination.Various welfare schemes undertaken by the successive governments for the benefit of minorities over the last five decades could not help ameliorate the conditions of Muslims owing to either ineffective implementation or lax monitoring. On the other hand, the Muslim community finds itself pushed deeper into the vicious circle of socio-economic and educational backwardness now.All the same, the advancement of minorities in general and Muslims in particular requires attention from both the Union government and the state government. Various components that necessarily contribute to confidence building among minorities include education, economic development, eradication of sense of discrimination, social and cultural development, promotion of Urdu language and thrust on the all-round development of minority women, as was pointed out in the Congress manifesto.Almost 58 percent of the 70 lakh Muslims in the state reside in urban areas and the remaining 42 percent in rural areas, as per the 2001 census. Muslims account for 19.5 percent of the total urban population and 5.3 percent of the total rural population in the state. In all, 55.15 percent of the Muslims live in Telangana region, 24.20 percent in Rayalaseema and 20.65 percent in coastal Andhra.Going by the census data for 2001, the proportion of population in the 0-6 age-group is 14.9 percent among Muslims as against the average of 13.3 for all religious communities. The literacy rate among Muslims is 68 percent as against the state’s average of 60.5 percent. The male literacy rate among Muslims is 76.5 percent as against the state average of 70.3 percent. Similarly, the female literacy rate among Muslims is 59.1 percent as against the state average of 50.4 percent.However, the work participation rate among Muslims is, however, lower at 33.8 percent as against the state average of 45.8 percent. The work participation rate among Muslim males is only 50.1 percent as against the state average of 56.2 percent. The work participation rate among Muslim females is only 16.8 percent as against the state average of 35.1 percent. This means that much of the potential workforce in the Muslim community—both males and females—is idle. In other words, unemployment is higher among Muslims than the rest of the population in the state.The distribution of category of workers suggests that there are lesser numbers of cultivators and agricultural labourers among Muslims (that is, 7.4 percent and 21.8 percent as against the state average of 22.5 percent and 39.6 percent) mainly because the community is largely urban-based. Consequently, the proportion of household industry workers and other categories of workers at 6.1 percent and 64.6 percent is higher than the average of 4.7 percent and 33.1 percent for all communities.A number of research studies have shown that the minorities residing in the state are economically and educationally backward. A recent study by Commissionerate for Minorities Welfare on socio-economic and educational conditions of Muslims only confirms what the previous studies and surveys have highlighted all along that an overwhelming majority of Muslims lives in abject poverty, social and educational backwardness.AP State Minorities Commission conducted a comprehensive study on the socio-economic conditions of minorities in the state wayback in 1989. A team led by Prof Abbas Ali of Osmania University conducted the study. The survey brought out the negligible share of Muslims in various sectors and all walks of life across Andhra Pradesh.There is no doubt that the living conditions, occupational profile, income and literacy levels and participation in social activities of Muslims have been quite pathetic. The 2004 study by the Commissionerate of Minorities Welfare has pointed out that almost two-thirds of the Muslims are living below poverty line with annual incomes below Rs 11,000 and another one-sixth of the Muslims are living in somewhat humane conditions with annual incomes of Rs 44,000 or below.The study by the Commissionerate of Minorities Welfare further revealed that most of the Muslims are engaged in petty business activity like running pan shops or chai dukaan, selling fruits or flowers or working as labourers in engineering workshops, watch servicing and repairs of radio and TV. The rural-based Muslims are mainly artisans. The study further noted that the socio-economic conditions of Muslims deteriorated over the decades due to poverty, illiteracy and inadequate representation in various fields of society.The recommendation for inclusion of Muslims among backward classes and provision of reservations for them in educational institutions and employment was made wayback in 1979 by the first chairman of AP State Minorities Commission Justice M A Ansari. The successive chairmen of the Commission have reiterated the recommendation over the last 26 years but without success.Both the Congress and Telugu Desam governments set up cabinet sub-committees on minorities welfare and launched several measures for socio-economic upliftment of minorities based on these reports. The Congress government headed by Kotla Vijayabhaskar Reddy issued the Government Order No. 86 in 1994, extending non-statutory benefits to Muslim students on the lines of backward classes.The Congress government constituted the AP Commission for Backward Classes through an enactment No.20 of 1993 to go into the requests for inclusion of various castes and communities, including the Muslims, in the list of Backward Classes. The BC Commission, with an initial tenure of three years, started functioning under the chairmanship of Justice K S Puttuswamy on March 31, 1994. The Commission was reconstituted for three more years from March 1997 and was given extension from time to time up to September 30, 2002.As many as 109 castes and communities, including Muslims, sought their inclusion as Backward Classes while 36 castes in the existing list of BCs sought change from one group to another. The BC Commission took almost eight and a half years to examine the claims and collect the data but could not finalise its report.Before we proceed further, let us briefly mention administrative and organizational set-up in place in the AP government for the welfare and development of the minorities. Andhra Pradesh is one of the few states to have a full-fledged Commissionerate for Minorities Welfare. The Commissionerate, with district minority welfare offices in 12 minority-concentrated districts in the state, is entrusted the task of implementing various schemes for the minorities and ensuring proper utilization of funds being earmarked by the government for the welfare of minorities, besides coordinating and supervising the activities of other bodies and institutions concerned with minorities.The Secretary to Government, Minorities Welfare Department at the Secretariat level, works as Ex-officio Commissioner, Minorities Welfare and he is assisted by an assistant commissioner at the state headquarters. Each district minority welfare office is headed by district minority welfare office, assisted by supporting staff.AP is also one of the few states to have a full-fledged Minorities Commission, an Urdu Academy, a State Minorities Finance Corporation and State Wakf Board.The AP State Minorities Commission was established in 1979 to ensure that the minorities are not discriminated against. The government accorded statutory status to the State Minorities Commission as per AP State Minorities Commission Act No. 31 of 1998 under the chairmanship of a retired judge of the High Court.The government in 1975 constituted the Urdu Academy, AP, with three regional centers at Vijayawada, Kurnool and Nizamabad to preserve and promote Urdu language and literature. The Academy has been undertaking a number of activities for the development of Urdu language. Besides providing scholarships to Urdu medium students and those studying Urdu as second language, the Academy extends financial assistance to Urdu libraries, undertakes translation of books of other languages in Urdu, publishes Urdu journals and gives away awards to best Urdu students and teachers.The three regional centers and 15 district centers run reading rooms and libraries, provide Urdu coaching and impart training in Urdu calligraphy. The Academy provides financial assistance to Urdu libraries and for printing of Urdu manuscripts, gives away lifetime achievement award, arranges grant-in-aid to organizations working for cultural development of minorities and runs 25 computer training institutes throughout the state to impart computer courses to minority candidates. As many as 570 Urdu-ghars-cum-shadikhnas (community halls) are being constructed all over the state for the convenience of minorities.The AP State Minorities Finance Corporation was established in 1985 to assist weaker sections of minorities for their economic development. The Corporation extends financial assistance under four schemes: economic assistance, Tatkal, micro credit and construction of worksheds. The Corporation is also entrusted the implementation of several other programmes, such as extension of non-statutory benefits like scholarships to minority students, development of minority women and children in urban areas, training and employment programmes and assistance to voluntary organizations for health camps etc.AP State Wakf Board is one of the biggest wakf boards in the country in terms of Wakf institutions numbering over 35,000 managed through mutawallies, managing committees and by direct management of the Board. The Wakf institutions have vast properties throughout the state. The Wakf Board has been striving for a long time to develop wakf properties. However, it encountered a number of problems on many fronts. The non-availability of requisite funds is one of the reasons for the inordinate delays in the development of wakf properties.The Wakf Board undertakes repairs, renovation, and protection of wakf institutions. It also prepares plans and schemes for developing of wakf properties. Under the provisions of Muslim Women (Divorce and Protection) Act 1986, the Wakf Board sanctions maintenance allowance to divorced Muslim women. The Board also looks after the maintenance of Haj House, constructed by the government at an outlay of Rs 10 crore to provide accommodation facilities to Haj pilgrims to stay in for completion of required international travel formalities for proceeding for Haj.AP government unveiled the Policy for the Advancement of Minorities in February 1996 and announced a comprehensive welfare package for minorities called “Roshni” in 1999. The government has also made Urdu as second official language in 13 districts. A Legislative Committee on Welfare of Minorities has been constituted to oversee the implementation of programmes for the welfare of minorities. A separate demand has been created in the state budget for activities and programmes meant exclusively for minorities.Reservations for Muslims in public employment and educational institutions was the key promise made by the Congress on the eve of 2004 Assembly elections. In fact, the Congress manifesto for the state spelt out 10 promises for the minorities. Though the government took the initiative to provide five percent reservations for Muslims through their inclusion in the list of backward classes in July 2004, the same could not be implemented as the matter ended in the AP High Court, which struck down the GO but directed that the issue be examined by AP Backward Classes Commission within a specified time-frame.The state government has reconstituted the AP Backward Classes Commission and given it the task of finalizing its recommendations on inclusion of Muslims in BC list for the purpose of reservations. The BC Commission is in the process of finalizing its report on issue of reservations for Muslims after assessing the socio-economic conditions of Muslims. The government has promised to implement a foolproof reservations policy for Muslims from the 2005-06 academic year.Among other things, the Congress has promised to revive the 15-Point programme for minorities announced by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and to put in place a monitoring mechanism devised by late Rajiv Gandhi for its implementation. The Congress also assured to safeguard the Muslim Personal Law and to take steps for implementation of Urdu as second official language in 13 districts. The Congress promised to substantially increase the budgetary allocations for Minorities Welfare.The state has made a budgetary allocation of Rs 49 crore for minorities welfare in the current year (2005-06) as against Rs 39 crore in the previous year. But the outlay for minorities welfare works out to not even one-tenth of one percent of the state budget. We have put forth our demand to the state government to increase this allocation to Rs 100 crore annually and progressively increase it further, since Muslims and other minorities constitute 11.2 percent of the state’s population and the state budget size is a whopping Rs 55,442 crore in the current year. Even the allocation of Rs 100 crore will only be a pittance, considering the gigantic size of the state budget and the appalling socio-economic conditions of Muslims.Even if the budgetary allocation for minorities welfare is raised to Rs 100 crore a year, it will only work out to one-fifth of one percent of the state budget. However, we believe that it will make a lot of difference to the minorities who are steeped in utter poverty, unemployment, illiteracy and other socio-economic problems. The previous Telugu Desam government had launched “Roshni” for the minorities but the Congress government has done little to spread the “Roshni” further.Among other things, the Congress manifesto assured that special measures would be taken to provide self-employment to youth among minorities through AP State Minorities Finance Corporation by additional allocations in the State Budget. Apart from release of margin money, the Congress promised steps for release of bank loans to the beneficiaries. But, nothing has been done to fulfil this promise. The investments in the Minorities Finance Corporation for economic assistance, Tatkal and micro-credit schemes have been pegged at Rs 14.10 crore both in 2004-05 and 2005-06.Our party has been demanding direct disbursement of scholarships to minority students and direct sanction of loans for self-employment schemes and anti-poverty programmes to minorities through the AP State Minorities Finance Corporation. In the old-age pensions also, a specific quota should be earmarked for the minorities. Thousands of elderly Muslim men and women are destitute and they are not cared for by anybody. The government must sanction old age pensions for them.To provide equal opportunities to minority women, the Congress had assured to constitute a separate minority women welfare corporation for their upliftment and improvement of educational and socio-economic conditions and for creation of employment opportunities. Now, this promise has been “dropped” on the ground that it was not found to be feasible. We suggest that the government must either provide additional funds to AP State Minorities Finance Corporation for the purpose or earmark a separate quota for assisting the minority women under the aegis of AP Women’s Cooperative Finance Corporation.While promising concrete and positive steps for educational development and welfare of minorities, the Congress has assured to establish one ITI, a polytechnic and a residential school for minorities in each district of the state. This promise, too, remains unfulfilled. Only the allocation for scholarships for minority students has been raised from Rs four crore in 2004-05 to Rs 10 crore in the current year.On the other hand, the allocations for other schemes such as development of minority women and children in rural and urban areas, integrated development minorities in Old city of Hyderabad and assistance to voluntary organizations for organizing health camps remain meager at a little over Rs two crore in the current year.The Congress promised to activate the minority institutions to encourage minorities to take up entrepreneurship and provide them necessary help for improving their levels of education. These institutions are supposed to provide vocational training to the minorities. But the overall allocations for schemes such as promotion of entrepreneurship among minorities, vocational training for minority women and youth, participation of minorities in competitive examinations and improvement of classroom performance of school children among minorities remains static at Rs one crore in the current year.The Congress has assured to safeguard and develop the wakf properties, to give executive powers to the Wakf Board on par with the Hindu Endowments Act and to provide funds for construction of shadikhanas and repairs to masjids, graveyards, etc. However, the allocations towards grants-in-aid to AP State Wakf Board for development of wakf properties and wakf institutions, maintenance of Haj House and assistance to Muslim divorced women remain static at less than Rs two crore. Only for the repairs and maintenance, the grants have been raised from Rs 3.29 crore to Rs 4.35 crore this year.So far as the AP Urdu Academy is concerned, the allocations remain static for awareness programme, cultural development of minorities, AP Open Urdu schools, and provision of infrastructure facilities in Urdu schools. Only for the promotion of Urdu, vocational training in Urdu computer education and for construction of Urdu ghar-cum-shadikhanas, the allocations have been raised to Rs 8.73 crore in the current year from Rs 5.4 crore in the previous year.Despite the previous government according second official language status to Urdu in 13 out of 23 districts in the state, this decision virtually remains on paper. There is no monitoring of the implementation of Urdu as second official language.The Congress government is yet to fullfil its promise to take effective steps for the implementation of Urdu as second official language. Hence, our party has requested the government to set up a separate cell in the Official Language Commission to monitor the implementation of Urdu as second official language.The Congress also assured that the allotment of houses for minorities in the weaker sections housing schemes would be according to their population in respective areas. The Congress has promised to construct 40 lakh houses under weaker sections housing programme in five years, including six lakh houses in 2004-05 and 6.5 lakh houses in the current year. Similarly, under the Rajiv Gruha Kalpa scheme, the government has proposed to take up two lakh houses around Hyderabad-Secunderabad and other major cities in the state.The weaker sections housing policy provides for earmarking seven percent of the houses for minorities in rural areas and 20 percent for the minorities in urban areas. We have told the government of the urgent need to strictly implement the quota earmarked for minorities in rural and urban housing schemes, since there are reports from the districts that this is not being done at present. We have demanded that the quota of 20 percent for minorities in urban housing programme should also be extended to Rajiv Gruha Kalpa scheme.Under the scheme for provision of house sites to weaker sections, the government has earmarked a quota of 10 percent for minorities but the district authorities are seldom following this stipulation. We are told that house-sites were distributed to 10 lakh beneficiaries in 2003-04 and two lakh in 2004-05. The target is for distribution of two lakh house-sites in the current year. We have represented to the government to strictly implement this quote for the minorities.The government runs as many as 1,429 hostels for the Backward Classes. Orders have been issued for three percent reservation to the minorities in the BC hostels out of the 10 percent quota earmarked for other communities. But this quota for minority students is not being provided in many hostels. We have urged the government to take immediate steps to enforce this quota for the minorities in the BCs hostels.For generating employment opportunities for the youth, the Congress government has revamped and renamed the Chief Minister’s Empowerment of Youth (CMEY) scheme as Rajiv Yuvashakti programme with a promise to cover one lakh youth during 2004-05 and another 1.5 lakh youth in the current year. Our party has demanded that a proportionate quota of 11 percent should be earmarked for youth belonging to minorities, mainly Muslims, under the Rajiv Yuvashakti programme.The state government created a record by distributing 1.55 lakh acres of land to 1.12 lakh landless poor on the Republic Day this year. But the minorities have hardly benefited from the scheme. Not even one percent of the beneficiaries belonged to minorities though they constitute 20 percent of the rural population. Another 50 lakh acres of land is available for distribution. We have asked the government to earmark 20 percent share for minorities in distribution of lands.The government has to do a lot to improve the condition of government schools in Hyderabad-Secunderabad, which are in very bad shape. Just as the Social Welfare, Tribal Welfare and Backward Welfare Departments are running residential schools and junior colleges for SCs, STs and BCs, we have requested the government to entrust the responsibility to Minorities Welfare Department to open and run exclusive residential schools for minorities. Alternatively, we suggested that specific quotas should be earmarked for minorities in the BC residential schools.There are 1.5 lakh acres of valuable lands attached to Wakf institutions throughout the state. The total value of the Wakf properties at prevailing market rates is estimated at Rs 36,000 crore. However, 81,591 acres of Wakf lands have been encroached in different places in the state. Two House Committees of AP Legislative Assembly, in their reports submitted in 1997 and 1999, have confirmed the encroachments.The state government has constituted the AP Wakf Tribunal under the Wakf Act, 1995, for determination of any dispute, question or other matter relating to a wakf or wakf properties. The tribunal has started functioning from September 1997 but it has proved ineffective in dealing with the menace of encroachments of wakf properties. We have asked the government to provide more powers to the tribunal so that it can evict the encroachers after summary trials. The government has commissioned a second survey of wakf properties in the state. The first survey was done in the 1960s. The second survey may provide authentic data on the encroachments on wakf properties now. But we are not satisfied with the 2nd Survey Wakf because the staff has no requisite qualification of Urdu knowledge and the measurements are not being taken with reference to relevant documents, revenue and other records. These defects should be rectified.The AIMIM has been demanding a substantial increase in budgetary allocation to Rs 25 crore to Quli Qutub Shah Urban Development Authority, which was constituted by the government in 1981 as a special body for the accelerated development of civic amenities in the Old City of Hyderabad, which is currently home to over 15 lakh Muslims living in pathetic conditions. The previous Telugu Desam government neglected the Old City and QQSUDA.But there has been no increase in annual budgetary allocation for QQSUDA after the Congress came to power last year. Our party has sought higher financial allocations for QSUDA and a special package of Rs 100 crore for quicker implementation of developmental activities in Old City of Hyderabad, which will go a long way in upliftment of Muslims and upgradation of their living conditions in the state capital.We earnestly request you to consider all these issues and suggestions highlighted by us. We sincerely hope that you will take cognizance of the facts and data brought before you through this representation and make suitable recommendations while finalizing your report.
Thanking you
Yours truly
Majlis Ittehadul Muslimeen