While representation of minorities in government, especially in paramilitary forces, was encouraging, more effort was needed for education and extension of credit facilities, the Prime Minister’s Office said on November 8 after a review of the programme for welfare of minorities.
Taking stock of the Prime Minister’s 15-point programme, which touches on areas ranging from communal riots and education to employment and housing, the Prime Minister’s principal secretary T.K. Nair gave specific suggestions for speeding up the pace of implementation and the need for producing tangible results quickly.
“As far as the follow-up of the recommendations of the Sachar Committee (on the state of Indian Muslims) was concerned, it was noted that a number of steps had been taken to implement the decisions. However, it was felt that the pace of implementation, especially of decisions taken in the areas of education and extension of credit facilities needed to be stepped up,” Nair said in a PMO press release.
“In particular, plans were finalised for development of a number of artisan clusters in Muslim dominated areas in an integrated and focussed manner.”
The programme, which was formulated in 1983, has been revised and recast, as promised by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, with definite goals to be achieved in a specific time frame.
The 15-point programme has been recast to provide for earmarking of outlays in certain schemes so that the progress could be monitored.
Secretaries to the ministries and departments of home affairs, department of Personnel and Training, Rural Development, Human Resource Development, Financial Services, Planning Commission, Statistics and Programme Implementation, Labour and Employment, Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, Women and Child Development and Minority Affairs attended the review meeting.