Patna, Nov. 13: Chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi on Thursday advocated allocation of funds in the budget according to the population of the community — something highly objected by experts.
“I am not so sure whether funds are being spent on minorities according to their population but it should be spent at least in proportion to their population. We will try to allocate money in the budget in proportion to their population,” Manjhi said.
Admitting that there has been laxity vis-à-vis implementation of the 15-point programme, which was chalked out on the recommendations of Justice Sachar Committee, Manjhi assured them things would be expedited to achieve desired goal soon.
The state government has prepared a Rs 24-crore skill development programme for minorities and the proposal has been sent to the Union government for its approval, Manjhi said. He added that the state government would run the skill development programme on its own if the Centre does not approve the proposal.
Manjhi said this while inaugurating a seminar, “Strategy for Literacy among Muslim Society”, jointly organised by the State Literacy Mission Authority, Bihar, and State Resource Centre, ADRI.
The state-level seminar was organised under Maulana Azad Taleem-e-Balighan programme, AN Sinha Institute of Social Studies, Patna.
However, Patna University economics professor Nawal Kishore Choudhary said devolution of funds on the basis of religion is a retrograde step and meant only to promote identity politics, which is dangerous for the country.
“Manjhi’s statement will strike at the very roots of democracy and will only fan out communal politics. If the devolution of funds could be done on the basis of religion, then people will ask for devolution of funds on the basis of caste lines also…. The government should take steps for the welfare and betterment of minorities but funds or budget allocation cannot be made on the basis of religion. If this is done, the move will be a dangerous one and divide the country,” Choudhary said.
Asked whether or not any economic theory of development suggests or incorporates such move (devolution of funds on the basis of religion), Choudhary said: “Economics does not theorise on the basis of caste and religion and economics is much beyond all these things.”
On the other hand, Nand Kishore Yadav, leader of Opposition in the Assembly, questioned the very idea of Manjhi, as the government has not been able to spend properly the funds allocated to the departments of minority, SC and ST, backward and extremely backward classes in the current financial year.
Giving details of the money spent by the various departments in the first six months of the current fiscal, Yadav said the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes department has spent just 21.85 per cent in the first six months of the budget allocation (2014-15) while backward class and extremely backward class department spent 24.43 per cent in the same period.
ADRI member-secretary Shaibal Gupta, minority welfare department principal secretary Amir Subhani, surgeon A.A. Hai, Phulwarisharif Emarat-e-Sharia Nazim Maulana Aneesurrahman Kasmi, State Resources Centre, Patna, director Sudeep Pandey and others were also present.
Manjhi said it was his personal view that the increasing population growth is not a burden, provided women, children are imparted right education and skill training. About the plight of Muslim women, he said they do not feel free in comparison to the women of other communities. “We should learn from tribal women as they lead the family,” he said, stressing the need for spreading the importance of education and skill development.
