Next time if you go for weekly prayers at mosques and churches in the district, you may also get information about the programmes devised by the Central and State governments for the welfare of minorities in the State.
Chairing a meeting on the welfare of minorities under the 15 point programme of the prime minister on Thursday, Deputy Commissioner C Shikha suggested that officials of the department of Minorities Welfare make judicious use of the Friday namaz and Sunday mass at mosques and churches respectively, to create awareness about the welfare schemes available to them.
Expressing dissatisfaction about tardy progress in the implementation of various programmes following the failure of the department head in reaching out to the beneficiaries, Shikha said, “The officials should make use of religious conglomeration at least twice in a month by announcing the list of welfare schemes for their benefit.”
Economic problems
Shikha said, most of the people belonging to the community were riddled by economic and educational difficulties. Taking cognisance of the same, the governments had devised various schemes with the back up of sufficient funds earmarked for the same.
Shikha also suggested the Deputy Director of Women and Child Development department Radha to identify the land required for building Anganwadi centres for the minorities in the district. Such lands identified with the help of department of Minorities Welfare, would be reserved for the purpose.
Earlier, when the Deputy Commissioner raised the issue of building only 132 anganwadi centres for minorities against the target of 424, Radha attributed it to the lack of land. There is a set target for building a total of 2,827 anganwadi centres in the district.
Apart from that, there are many welfare schemes for the benefit of minorities in the departments of Education, Health, Women and Child Development, Industries among others, but they need to reach the needy, said Shikha.
DH News Service
