Delhi minorities panel summons DSFDC officials over 'meagre loans given to small number' of people

Concerned over "meagre loans given to a small number" of minorities in the national capital, Delhi's minorities body has summoned officials of government lending agency DSFDC to explain reasons behind it.

Delhi Minorities Commission chairman Zafarul Islam Khan said in response to the panel's notice, the Delhi SC/ST/OBC/Minorities and Handicapped Financial and Development Corporation (DSFDC) has informed them that in 2017-18 fiscal, 18 loan applications from minorities were received, out of which 16 were approved, one was rejected and one application is still under consideration.

"The beneficiaries included 14 Muslims and two Sikhs who got loans totalling Rs 15.5 lakh," Khan said citing the corporation's reply.

According to the last Census report, minorities form roughly 20 per cent of Delhi's population. Muslims alone were nearly 13 percent of the total population of the city.

"It is clear that these meagre loans to such a small number mean nothing looking at the population of the minority communities in Delhi. This raises questions about the need and justification for such a corporation in NCT of Delhi," Khan said.

The corporation's officials have been called for a meeting to understand its problems and assess its work, he said.

DSFDC offers different types of loans under composite scheme, transport loan, Delhi Swarojgar Yojna among others to the targeted groups.

The minorities commission had recently issued a notice to Delhi Khadi Gramodyog Board questioning it over just one loan sanctioned to minorities in 2016 and 2017.