In a significant decision, Telangana Government has raised the income ceiling criteria for various schemes implemented for the minorities in the State. GO RT.No. 64, dated 30-4-2015, issued by Minorities Welfare Department (MWD), provides for uniform income ceiling criteria for economic support and welfare schemes for the minorities, which constitute 14 per cent of the state’s population.

The upward revision of income ceiling was effected on the orders of chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, in response to representations from All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) and the MWD. This would facilitate effective implementation of all the minority welfare schemes and, in the process, enable the MWD to utilize the budgetary allocations fully.

In the GO, special secretary, minorities welfare, Syed Omer Jaleel, explains that the income ceiling criteria for different welfare schemes of the MWD varied from scheme to scheme and these were prescribed long back and were not in consonance with the present realities. Thus, it was felt necessary to have uniform income eligibility criteria for all the schemes in respect of the MWD.

The government notified the new uniform annual income ceiling criteria for minority beneficiaries in rural areas and urban areas for various schemes, such as bank-linked subsidy for income generated scheme, Shaadi Mubarak, skill development training organised by State Minorities Finance Corporation and Christian Finance Corporation, reimbursement of tuition fees (RTF), maintenance fees (pre/post-matric scholarships) (MTF), coaching for civil services etc.

The uniform income ceiling for all these seven schemes is Rs 1.5 lakh per annum in rural areas and Rs two lakh per annum in urban areas. The new ceiling criteria have come into force with immediate effect.

Till the new GO was issued, different income criteria were prescribed for various schemes of MWD.

The ceiling for bank-linked subsidy for income-generation scheme was Rs 75,000 per annum. For RTF and MTF, skill development training and coaching for civil services, the income ceiling was Rs one lakh per annum. For the Shaadi Mubarak scheme, the income ceiling was Rs two lakh per annum.

Owing to the low income ceiling criteria prescribed for subsidy schemes (Rs 75,000) and scholarship schemes (Rs one lakh), the number of beneficiaries was quite restricted and this was the key reason why the MWD was not able to fully utilize the budgetary allocations year after year.

Though the Telangana government had raised the allocations for minorities welfare to Rs 1,033 crores in 2014-15 state budget, the actual releases worked out to just about Rs 500 crores and the remaining allocations (Rs 533 crores) “lapsed.” Similar had been the story in the undivided AP in the previous years.

Raising of income ceiling criteria is just one aspect of the issues affecting the utilization of funds earmarked for minority schemes.

Other restrictive conditions remain in force, especially with regard to post-matric scholarships (PMS) and fees reimbursement scheme, as well as subsidy for bankable schemes.

For instance, maximum age-limits have been prescribed for minority students for various courses. These include 20 years cap (ceiling) for intermediate, 25 years for graduate and 30 years for post-graduate and higher courses.

These arbitrary and discriminatory restrictions were imposed through memo No. 10537/SW.Edn.2/2011 by Social Welfare Department on 1st November 2011 in the erstwhile AP.

Similarly, restrictions were imposed on full fees reimbursement for minority students. As per GO Ms 30 issued by Social Welfare Department in August 2012, SC and ST students are entitled to full fees reimbursement ranging from Rs 35,000 to Rs 1.05 lakh for engineering, Rs 31,000 to Rs 91,700 for pharmacy and Rs 27,000 to Rs 88,000 for MBA and MCA courses.

However, the minority students are allowed maximum fees reimbursement upto Rs 35,000 for engineering, Rs 31,000 for pharmacy and Rs 27,000 for MBA and MCA courses, irrespective of fees structure in the colleges they study.

This places the minority students at a disadvantage and causes severe financial hardship, especially when they perform better in the common entrance tests and get admission in prominent colleges where the fees chargeable is very high.

This discriminatory ceiling for the minority students needs to be removed immediately so that the students from these communities and castes are treated on par with SC and ST students.

Also, in place of age restrictions for availing post-matric scholarships and fees reimbursement, fresh norms can be evolved whereby PMS and RTF can be provided to a student for pursuing only one degree, one PG and one higher course (M.Phil & Ph.D).

Similarly, the age-band for availing subsidy for bankable schemes should be relaxed to 18 to 55 years, as was the case earlier. This would help more minority beneficiaries to avail subsidy scheme.

(The author is an MLC and a journalist)