While the budget allocations for 2007-08 was Rs 500 crore, the UPA government is likely to increase it to Rs 1,000 crore in the forthcoming budget, official sources told Deccan Herald.
A major chunk of this increased allocation would be utilised for funding the pre-matric scholarships for the minority students and also for implementing development plans for the minority concentration districts.
A list of 90 such districts including Bidar and Gulbarga in Karnataka has been prepared by the ministry of minority affairs on the basis of 2001 census data.
These districts were backward with unacceptably low levels of either socio-economic or amenities indicators or both and they were in urgent need of focused attention.
The government has decided to prepare and implement area or problem specific special development plans for these districts. It has also been decided to ensure that the benefit of programmes of poverty alleviation, education, health and provision of basic amenities etc, reach these districts in a focused manner.
While political observers feel that the massive hike in allocation for the ministry is aimed at wooing the minority voters in the forthcoming general elections, the official explanation is that most of the welfare schemes would be operating in full swing and thus allocation of more resources would be necessary.
“Since most of the welfare schemes have been launched in the third quarter of the current fiscal, the resource allocation as well as utilisation is low. But things will definitely improve in the next fiscal year,” the official said.
However, the picture is not very optimistic when the fund utilisation of individual schemes for minority welfare is concerned. For example, the coaching and allied scheme for preparing the minority students for competitive examinations, which has received Rs 10 crore allocation in 2007-08 has only utilised Rs 2 crore till date.
Even the research studies and publicity scheme, which got an almost double hike in its allocation from Rs 6 crore to Rs 11 crore in the current fiscal year, could only utilise half of that amount.
Officials are still struggling to prevail upon the state authorities to send utilisation certificates for the grants-in-aid scheme for the state channelising agencies of National Minority Finance Development Corporation. Out of Rs 10 crore total budget allocation, only Rs 4.5 crore could be released till date.