India is heaven for Minorities, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi says at NMDFC conference

Shri Naqvi said that the Government has been working on war-footing to provide quality and affordable education, employment-oriented skill development and basic infrastructure to every needy of the society.

Union Minister for Minority Affairs Shri Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi today said that India has become a “role model” for “Inclusive Growth and Positive Progress” for the entire world under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.

While inaugurating the Silver Jubilee Function and the annual conference of State Channelising Agencies of National Minorities Development and Finance Corporation (NMDFC) in New Delhi today, Shri Naqvi said that India is heaven for Minorities while Pakistan has proved to be hell for Minorities.

Shri Naqvi said that the Government has been working on war-footing to provide quality and affordable education, employment-oriented skill development and basic infrastructure to every needy of the society. The priority of the Government is to provide affordable and quality education to all the needy sections of the society including Minorities and their economic empowerment through employment-oriented skill development.

He further said that easy loans worth Rs 3000 crore have been provided in the last 5 years by NMDFC to more than 8 lakhs 30 thousand beneficiaries for various stand-up, start-up, and other various economic activities.

Shri Naqvi said that from the first day of the Modi Government-2, the Ministry of Minority Affairs has been working effectively for the educational and economic empowerment of Minorities. Under the programme to connect Madrasas with the mainstream education system, about 150 teachers from Madrasas from various states have been trained by the Ministry of Minority Affairs. More than 10 lakh students from six notified Minority communities- Jain, Parsi, Buddhist, Christian, Sikh, and Muslims- have been given pre-matric, post-matric, merit-cum-means and other scholarships.

The Minister said that we will provide scholarships to 5 crore students in the next 5 years. During the last 5 years, scholarships had been provided to more than 3 crores 18 lakh students belonging to Minority communities which included about 60 percent girl students.

Shri Naqvi informed that the Ministry of Minority Affairs will organize 100 “Hunar Haat” in the next five years across the country to provide market and employment and employment opportunities to master artisans and culinary experts. First “Hunar Haat” of the Modi Government-2 was organised in Jaipur. The next “Hunar Haat” will be organised from 01st November in Prayagraj.

Shri Naqvi said that in the coming days, “Hunar Haat” will be organized in Delhi, Gurugram, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata, Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Dehradun, Patna, Indore, Bhopal, Nagpur, Raipur, Hyderabad, Puducherry, Chandigarh, Amritsar, Jammu, Shimla, Goa, Kochi, Guwahati, Ranchi, Bhubneshwar, Ajmer and other places. Our target is to provide employment and employment opportunities to 5 lakh master artisans and craftsmen through “Hunar Haat” in the next 5 years.

Shri Naqvi expressed happiness that is a major achievement, 100 percent digitization of Waqf properties across the country has been completed. There is about 6 lakh registered Waqf properties across the country.  A programme on a war footing is going on for 100 percent Geo-tagging and digitalization of Waqf properties across the country to ensure these properties can be utilized for the welfare of the society. GIS/GPS mapping of the waqf properties has been initiated with the help of IIT Roorkee and Aligarh Muslim University. 

Under “Pradhanmantri Jan Vikas Karykram” (PMJVK) of the Ministry of Minority Affairs, 100 Common Service Centres have been approved across the country. These centers will work as a single-window system for the needy people to provide information regarding Central and State Government schemes as well as to assist them in getting benefits from these welfare schemes.

Shri Naqvi said that under Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karykram (PMJVK), during the last 5 years; 26 Degree Colleges, 1152 School Buildings, 40,252 Additional Classrooms, 506 Hostels, 71 Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), 52 Polytechnics, 39,602 Anganwadi Centres, 411 Sadbhavna Mandaps, 95 Residential Schools, 530 Market, etc. have been constructed by the Government in the Minority concentrated areas across the country.

During the event, one more State Channelising partner was added for implementation of the NMDFC programme in Goa. MOUs were also signed between NMDFC and SCAs of Jammu & Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, Tripura, Kerala, and other State Channelising Agencies.

Secretary Ministry of Minority Affairs Shri Shailesh, NMDFC CMD Shri Shahbaz Ali and other senior officials of the Ministry were present on the occasion. The State Principal Secretaries/Secretaries and Heads of State Channelizing Agencies (SCAs) along with officials also attended the function.

Shri Naqvi released a special edition of the magazine of NMDFC “Yadeen” which highlights the journey & growth of NMDFC over the years to serve the target group better. A compilation of real-life success stories “Sapno Ko Pankh” was also released during the inaugural function, wherein stories of persons, who with small loans setup larger business ventures and have now become employers. “Sapno ko Pankh” is an inspiring compilation for thousands of such people who aspire to become self-employed and empowered to employ others.

On the occasion, Shri Naqvi also handed over the keys of an ambulance to Shaheed Bhagat Singh Sewa Dal, New Delhi, which has been provided under the CSR programme of NMDFC. The organization provides emergency ambulance services to poor and needy people, free of cost in Delhi. The ambulance was later also flagged off by Shri Naqvi.

(With Inputs from PIB)