'Awareness on govt schemes inadequate'

Speaking after inaugurating an awareness programme on government scheme benefits organised by the Karnataka State Minority Commission (KSMC) in association with the district administration and zilla panchayat at the Town Hall here on Thursday, Palemar said that the BJP government has increased the fund allotment for the development of minority from Rs 23 crore to Rs 187 crore.

However, scheme benefits are not reaching beneficiaries properly, he said adding that officials should give more emphasis on creating awareness on government schemes.

Mangalore South MLA N Yogish Bhat delivering the presidential address said that the sanctions given to Karnataka State Minority Development Corporation (KSMDC) has been increased from Rs 5 crore to Rs 49 crore. The government is open to provide more aid for the welfare of minority in the state, he assured.

About 31 per cent of the population in the district belongs to the minority categories. Though the strength of minority in the distrct is about 5.87 lakh, only three out 24 government schemes are being implemented successfully. KSMC, officials and people’s representatives should take initiative to implement all the schemes efficiently, Bhat said.

KSMC Chairperson Khusro Qureshi delivering the keynote address said that politicians remember minority communities only during election. The Corporation has already conducted awareness camps at 10 districts in the State. It is unfortunate that the participation of Christians in camps is very less compared to Muslims and other communities. The corporation has the power to find solution to the problems of minority, he said and called upon members of the minority communities to make use of the scheme benefits.

Mangalore MLA U T Khader said that the Corporation should take initiative to build minority hostels especially for ladies in Bangalore to provide shelter for large number of employees from Dakshina Kannada. Further, he suggested that the awareness programmes should be organised at hobli-levels. The Corporation also should help those innocent youths from minoirity who were trapped in various cases in the district, he added.

KSMDC Chairperson N B Aboobakker, KSMC members Peer Khan, Banthe Bodiddatta and others were present.