Responding to the demand to increase fund allocation to the Minorities Department, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Thursday said the funding would be increased on the basis of need and population.
This came in response to an appeal by Congress member C.M. Ibrahim who pointed out that not only the allocation had come down, but the number of programmes had also been reduced from 77 to 29.
The Chief Minister, in response, said except for the Shadi Mahal scheme none of the programmes had been withdrawn.
“Since about 650 Shadi Mahals have been built in the State so far, we have diverted the same fund to other programmes. We have enhanced intake in minorities hostel and Abdul Kalam Schools are being upgraded to CBSE syllabus. A sum of ₹110 crore is being spent to prepare candidates from the minority community for competitive examinations. We will not stop any schemes. Since allocation has been reduced to all departments, allocation to the Minorities Department has also been reduced,” he said.
Allocation would be gradually increased depending on the population and need, he added.
