Telangana Budget: Rs 2200 crore for welfare of Minorities

The government is implementing Shaadi Mubarak Scheme for the Muslim girls since 2014.

Hyderabad: Allocating a budget of Rs. 2200 crore for the minority welfare department in the State budget, Finance Minister, T Harish Rao on Monday said Telangana government treats all religions equally and without any discrimination ensures the benefits of government programmes reaches all sections of the society. “Before the formation of Telangana, the previous governments were not even spending Rs.300 crore per annum for the welfare of Minorities,” he said.

The Minister said that since the formation of the State in June 2014 to January 2023, an amount of Rs.8,581 crore has been spent by the government for the welfare of Minorities “The fact that an amount of Rs.1,286 crore was spent in 2021-22 for the welfare of Minorities is a strong proof of the commitment of the Telangana government,” he said.

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The government is implementing Shaadi Mubarak Scheme for the Muslim girls since 2014. “In the last eight and a half years, for the marriage of 2, 32,713 girls, an amount of Rs.1, 903 crore was spent. Due to increased demand from the poor beneficiaries Rs 450 crore is being proposed including an additional amount of Rs.150 crore,” he said.

On the financial assistance schemes for unemployed and small time traders and craftsmen, he said in the ensuing financial year, an amount of Rs.270 crore is proposed to be spent through the Telangana Minorities Finance Corporation (TSMFC). The government has taken a decision to distribute 20,000 sewing machines to the poor Muslim women through the corporation, he said.

The Minister said that the number of minorities residential schools managed by the TMERIS is much higher than any other State. Initially, the government established 203 schools and later upgraded them into junior colleges.