Hyderabad: AIMIM Floor Leader Akbaruddin Owaisi on Saturday demanded the government allocate a Rs 10,000 crore development package for the Old City.
Participating in the debate on the Budget, Mr Owaisi demanded the government strengthen the Wakf Board and set up Sewage Treatment Plants and check the mosquito menace.
Speaking on the issues related to minorities and the Old City, he pointed out that the TRS government has cumulatively allocated Rs 6,589 crore in the last five years for minorities and released Rs 4,723 crore (71.68 per cent of the allocation), while the expenditure stood at only Rs 3,839 crore (58.26 per cent).
The MLA pointed out that only Rs 3crores was earmarked for pre-matric scholarship. “The amount spent on minorities is not even 1 per cent of the state expenditure,” Mr Owaisi said.
“Even you admit that Muslims deserve 12 per cent share in all fronts. I will not demand 12 per cent share in the budget for Minorities, but would like to demand 2 per cent to 3 per cent share in budgetary expenditures,” he told the TRS chief.
“We were standing with you and are equally responsible for our people. We have to answer to them. Assure us of releasing the allocations. The CM has announced that minorities will get benefits on par with the SCs/STs and BCs. Government has issued GO identifying 16 schemes, but none of them were implemented for minorities. Who do we present our grievances to?” Mr Owaisi said.
He said that though the government has given Urdu the second official language status, justice has not been done to the language. “Only Urdu translators were appointed, but the script does not appear on signboards or buses. No official paper is seen in Urdu language. Urdu is beseeching justice,” Mr Owaisi said.
He thanked the CM for releasing funds for construction of Anees-ul-Gurba and an auditorium at the Jamia Nizamia and asked Mr Chandrasekar Rao to inaugurate the auditorium.
Stating that Wakf properties are being enchroached, the MLA wanted the government to constitute Wakf Board. He also demanded start of work of the ramp at Baba Sharfuddin Dargah and constitution of the Wakf Tribunal.
“During the Telangana agitation, your party approached the High Court seeking protection of property belonging to Dargah Hussain Shah Wali, but justice has not been done with it. You have announced development of the Jahangir Peeran dargah, but it remains underdeveloped. Minority Finance Corporation has no MD. Urdu Academy has stopped printing of textbooks in Urdu,” Mr Owaisi told the TRS MLAs.
He also demanded proper allocation of funds for the GHMC, the Water Board, the Charminar Pedestrianisation Project and other pending works in the Old City.
Mr Owaisi also demanded immediate action to get rid of mosquitoes from the old city and cleaning up of the Musi and other water bodies in the city.
