The Treasury and Opposition benches had a heated argument today on welfare of minorities during the four years of Trinamool Congress rule in West Bengal.
Refuting charges levelled by Congress, CPI(M) and BJP members, state Urban Development Minister Firhad Hakim who represented ailing Minister of State for Minority Affairs and Madrasah Education Giasuddin Molla, said the present government was trying its best to uplift the condition of the minorities.
Attacking Left Front, Hakim, who was replying during the grant of budgetary demand, said that the state felt ashamed to see the recommendations of Justice Sachar report released during its regime which mentioned the dismal condition of the minorities in West Bengal.
After TMC came to power in West Bengal, Hakim said the government had hiked budgetary outlays, planned expenditure and scholarship amounts given to the minority students.
He said Aliah University had been set up at a cost of Rs 286 crore for minorities in addition to setting up polytechnics, hostels and housing.
The Opposition members argued that the TMC government had created a hype around minority welfare by announcing stipends to maulvis and muezzins.
They also said nothing real was being done, but they were merely an eyewash.
Congress member Firoza Begam said that West Bengal had the second highest population of Muslims after Uttar Pradesh.
But their plight had not lessened in the four years under TMC government, she said adding Muslims do not want alms from the government as they are poor, but want empowerment and rights.
BJP member Shamik Bhattacharya said the government was wearing a facade of secularism and not doing anything that was really needed.
