Fresh TS Minority Finance Corporation notification for loans draws flak

Nampally: Even as the TS Minority Finance Corporation (TSMFC) is facing fund crunch particularly in clearing thousands of loan-cum-subsidy scheme applications which have piled up since the formation of the Telangana, the release of latest notification inviting applications from Christian minorities (for the year 2019-20) is drawing flak. Out of 87,450 applications received for the year 2015-16 from Hyderabad only 3,192 were cleared, even as entire process remained under question.

Following recent protests by the Opposition parties over the intentions of the State government in delivering the promises, officials and politicians were seen distributing cheques to some of the beneficiaries.

When questioned about the pending applications which piled up at the office of minorities welfare department, the officials concerned could only attribute the reason for delay in funds to lack of finances owing to budgetary control. However, the activists are questioning how the State government which is not able to provide funds for loans of 2015-16 is gearing up to extend the benefit for the existing financial year.

"People who have applied are eagerly waiting for receiving the promised loans under the subsidy scheme, but same officials who cite lack of funds from budget have now come up with fresh applications. They are fooling around the people, just like they kept on extending dates (2015-16) and received more than 1.5 lakh applications, even this time they are extending dates for Christian Minorities," said Shafeeq Ather, an activist.

In June this year, the Congress party also took up the issue and its leaders led by TPCC) Minorities Dept Chairman Shaik Abdullah Sohail registered a strong protest by meeting TSMFC Managing Director AHN Kanthi Wesley at her office in Haj House and complained over non-implementation of schemes introduced by the government. He also demanded an explanation over the matter by holding a press conference, but nothing was done.

The Congress leader pointed out that nearly 1.53 lakh had applied for loan-cum-subsidy schemes in 2015-16 from across the State. He said those applications were still pending for unknown reasons and the TSMFC stopped accepting applications under loan-cum-subsidy scheme since 2015-16. He demanded that the TSMFC furnish information, with district-wise break-up, on the number of applications received under this scheme along with their status.

The party leaders also informed that of Rs. 573.10 crore allocated for the minorities welfare in the vote-on-account, only Rs. 24.41 crore were earmarked for bank-linked-subsidy scheme. "Lakhs of poor and jobless youth have been waiting for the last 5 years to get some assistance from the State Government through TSMFC. However, they are only facing disappointment," said the former corporator of Bholakpur, Mohammed Wajid Hussain.