VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Saturday said that the government has spent Rs 23,175 crore on minority welfare schemes over the past 53 months, signalling his government’s commitment to ensure the welfare of backward sections of society.
Jagan Mohan Reddy was addressing a gathering at the Indira Gandhi Municipal Stadium in Vijayawada on the occasion of National Education Day and Minorities’ Welfare Day, falling on the birth anniversary of Moulana Abul Kalam Azad.
He said his father Dr Y.S. Rajashekar Reddy worked for the welfare of Muslims by introducing reservations for them.
“I have taken the cause forward and the government is working for their social, economic, educational and political empowerment. While there was not a single Muslim minister during the previous Telugu Desam rule, there are four Muslim MLAs and four MLCs as lawmakers, with one of the Deputy Chief Ministers and Deputy Chairperson of the Legislative Council also minorities. Ours is the only government that has been implementing different welfare programmes for minorities with empathy and enforced a law for 50 per cent reservation of nominated posts to SC, ST, BC and minorities,” the Chief Minister said.
Reeling out specific measures, he said, “Ours is the only government to issue orders for protecting properties of Wakf Board and churches, paying monthly honorarium of Rs 10,000 each to Imams and Rs 5,000 each to Mouzzens and pastors and implementing sub-plan for minorities.”
Jagan Mohan Reddy said his government also introduced Urdu as a second language in schools, besides arranging Haj pilgrimages from Vijayawada. Along with SC, ST, and BC communities, minorities are also reaping the benefits of welfare schemes, he said, citing the YSR Kalyanamasthu Shaadi Tohfa for helping Muslim girls pursue education.
“In the past, if you want to go for Haj, then you have to go from Hyderabad. There should be a situation of going directly from Vijayawada, as this is a new state. We have taken steps to stand by every Muslim brother. We have announced Vijayawada as the embarkation point. After that, Deputy CM Anjad came to me and told me that the flight ticket from Vijayawada was Rs 80,000 more than Hyderabad and asked if we should bear it. I said that our government will definitely bear the extra charges. We immediately released an excess of Rs 14 crore for a hassle-free Haj. All I ask is one thing and strongly urge you to make ‘Dua’ for your child's government while going on Haj,” Jagan Mohan Reddy said.
On the occasion, he was also felicitated by minority leaders after giving away lifetime achievement and other awards to Muslim scholars for 2023.
Dr S.A. Sattar Saheb (Kadapa district) was presented with the Moulana Azad National Award, Baba Frakruddin (Annamayya district) and Dr Patan Karimulla (Chittoor district) received the Dr Abdul Haq award. Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Mohammad Azmat Ali (Kurnool district), Patan Mohammad Khan (Chittoor district), Shaik Abdul Gaffar (Kurnool district), Syed Shafi Ahamad Quadri (Tirupati district) and Mohammad Gouse Arif (Kadapa district).
Deputy Chief Minister S.B. Amzad Basha, minority leaders, ministers, MLAs and MLCs were in attendance.
