Hyderabad: The State government has allocated Rs 3,003 crore for Minorities Welfare in the new budget. This amount is Rs 800 crore more than what was allocated in the financial year 2023-24. This marks a 36 percent increase from the previous year’s allocation of Rs 2,195 crore.
Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka presented the budget. He emphasized that protecting the rights of minorities and ensuring their development is crucial for the overall progress of the State. To support this, the government is offering free coaching for civil services exams to minority students along with BC, SC, and ST students. Experienced tutors are being hired, and the coaching is being provided in a modern and effective manner. Local students will receive a stipend of Rs 2,500, while non-local students will receive Rs 5,000.
The government has also allocated Rs 33 crore for Ramzan celebrations and Rs 50 lakh for the repair and maintenance of Ashoor Khanas. Additionally, Rs 2.4 crore has been released for a Tablighi Jamiat Islamia meeting in January 2024, and Rs 4.43 crore for Haj. The Telangana Minorities Residential Educational Institutions Society (TMREIS) has been given a budget of Rs 698 crore this year, compared to Rs 565 crore in the previous financial year.
Since the State’s formation in 2014, there has been a steady increase in the budget for the Minorities Welfare department. Initially, Rs 1,030 crore was allocated. However, there is still a significant gap between Budget Estimates and Revised Estimates. For example, while the budget was around Rs 2,200 crore last year, the revised estimates showed it to be Rs 1,783 crore.
