Farooq lambasts previous YSRCP govt for betraying minorities

Vijayawada : Alleging that the YSRCP government had betrayed the minorities of Andhra Pradesh in the five years rule between 2019 and 2024, Minorities Welfare Minister NMD Farooq said the YSRCP government had stopped the welfare schemes launched and implemented by the TDP government.

He said the NDA government in the State was trying to implement the welfare schemes and will work for the upliftment of minorities.

In a press release, Farooq said that as per the 2011 Census, the minorities population in Andhra Pradesh was 43.46 lakh. Among them Muslims population was 36.18 lakh, Christian population 6.83 lakh, Sikh population 10,000 and Buddhists, Jains and Parsis around 70,000.

He said the previous TDP government sanctioned 342 projects for construction of Urdu Bhavans and Shadi Khanas. Of these, 196 were completed and 146 projects were not started. The TDP government had sanctioned Rs 83.15 crore for these projects.

While the YSRCP government has sanctioned only 46 projects and completed two and this reflects the commitment of the YSRCP for the welfare of the minorities, he flayed.

The Minister pointed out that the TDP government had sanctioned Rs 24 crore for the construction of Haj House in Kadapa and spent Rs 15 crore to complete 80 per cent works.

But the YSRCP government failed to complete the Haj house construction works as they were initiated by the TDP government.

The Haj House was not completed in the YSR district represented by former Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, he regretted.

Farooq said the TDP government between 2014 and 2019, had allocated Rs 16 crore for the construction of Christian Bhavan in Guntur and completed 50 per cent works with Rs 10 crore. The YSRCP government could not complete even the works of the Christian Bhavan.

He said the TDP government had allocated Rs 57.58 crore for the construction and repairs to 648 Wakf institutions and completed 60 per cent works.

But the YSRCP government had discontinued all these works and schemes.

He informed that the TDP government sanctioned Rs 70.36 crore for the construction of 977 churches and it completed 377 of them at a cost of Rs 56.55 crore. He said the TDP government sanctioned bank loans with bank linkages and training classes were conducted for minorities to enable them to secure livelihood.

He assured that the State government under the leadership of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu will take steps for the protection of Wakf properties.

Farooq came down heavily on the previous YSRCP government for discontinuing the welfare schemes meant for the minorities and scrapping them.