Maharashtra minister Dilip Kamble today told the state Legislative Council that Minorities Directorate would be set up in the state within a month.
He informed the House that the structure of the directorate has been finalised and it would be set up soon after the cabinet gives its nod.
The Minister of State for Minority Affairs also said that the state is soon likely to receive from the Centre the funds saved after the scrapping of Haj subsidy, which would be used for the education of the minority children.
He was replying to the issues concerning minorities raised by MLCs Khwaja Baig, Anand Thakur, Husnabanu Khalife, Jogendra Kawade, Girish Vyas and Haribhau Rathod and Neelam Gorhe.
The members pointed out that the vacant top posts in bodies like Maulana Azad Minorities Financial Development Corporation (MAMFDC), Maharashtra State Board of Wakfs, Maharashtra State Haj Committee, Maharashtra State Urdu Academy and Maharashtra State Minorities Commission, was hampering the implementation of different schemes for the minorities.
While Baig questioned the shortage of funds in these institutions, Khalife reminded the government of its promise of setting upMinorities Directorate.
She also sought to know the status of the scrapped Haj subsidy, which was promised to be used for the education of children from the minority communities.
In his reply, Kamble said, "The structure of the Minorities Directorate has been finalised. Soon, after getting the approval of the state cabinet, the directorate will come into existence within a month."
Information about all the minority community-related schemes will be available in this directorate, he said.
"The subsidy amount due to the state from the Centre will be released soon," he said.
Baig made a demand that the creamy layer income ceiling of Rs 8 lakh for scholarships to OBC students should be given to the children from the minorities.
In response, Kamble announced that this ceiling would immediately be applicable to the minority community students.
"The government is serious about the issues of the minorities and it is doing the needful," he said.
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