By Daulat Rahman
Guwahati, Apr 27 : A high-powered team of the National Commission for Minorities, headed by its vice-chairman H.T. Sangliana, will arrive here tomorrow to review the status of various welfare schemes for the minorities in the state.
Sources told The Telegraph that the commission’s visit has assumed significance as it would investigate the causes of failure of various welfare projects and draw a futuristic plan for overall development of the minority communities before the Assembly election in the state in 2011.
Allen Brooks, the acting chairperson of the Assam State Commission for Minorities, said the commission would discuss with the parent body various issues, including setting up of quality educational institutions in minority-dominated areas.
“The NCM is deeply concerned over the fact that the state has failed to execute majority of the minority welfare projects sponsored by the NCM. Of the 38 projects approved by the NCM for various projects in the last five years, Assam could execute hardly 8 projects till this date. The important projects like free IAS coaching for minority students, setting up of technical and professional institutes in minority-dominated areas to enhance employability of minority youths were not even taken up by the state government for execution,” the source said.
An Assam government official associated with minority development said the Assam Minority Welfare Board and Assam Minority Development and Financial Corporation Ltd have conver-ted into political bodies where the ruling party rehabilitates its disgruntled leaders.
He said the National Minority Development and Financial Corporation Ltd recently wrote to the Assam government saying the corporation’s interest-free loans were given to relatives of politicians instead of deserving beneficiaries from the minority communities by the AMDFCL.
“All these issues will be taken into account during the three-day visit of Sangliana. He will meet chief minister Tarun Gogoi, his council of ministers and representatives of various minority groups, including Muslim religious and church leaders during his stay in Guwahati,” the source said.
Sangliana, a former police commissioner of Bangalore, will also hold a separate meeting with the state chief secretary Naba Kumar Das, DGP Shankar Baruah and various minority groups on the issue of atrocities on religious, linguistic and ethnic minority communities in the state.
He will focus on welfare of minority ethnic groups in Assam’s twin hills districts — Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao.
Apart from investigating the causes of failure of minority welfare projects, the NCM team would also draw a futuristic plan for development of the minority communities.
A source in the minority cell in the Assam PCC said the party would bank on an attractive project to win the loyalty of the Muslim community, which plays a big role in deciding who sits in Dispur.
[ via Telegraph India ]
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