By Faisal Fareed, TwoCircles.net
Lucknow: Lofty claims are made by governments for the welfare of minorities, however when it comes to implementation, all promises disappear in thin air.
The case in point is bunch of welfare schemes launched for the benefit of minorities in the state under the aegis of Uttar Pradesh Minorities Finance and Development Corporation (UPMFDC). The corporation is virtually lying defunct due to non availability of funds. For the past three years the corporation has not been provided a single penny thus sealing the fate of three pivotal schemes namely Education Loan, Term Loan and Margin Money scheme.
In the blame game the state authorities pass the buck to central government for drying the funds. However, sources informed that the state government has failed to furnish a guarantee for the corporation thus snapping the fund chain from Delhi.
Employees at UPMFDC recall that the education loan scheme launched in 2001-2 with a corpus of four crores from National Minorities Finance and Development Corporation (NMFDC), Delhi benefited the minority category students pursuing professional courses as MBBS, Engineering, MBA and others. The scheme provided them refundable loan at just 3 percent. The amount was to be returned a year after the completion of course. “Nearly 400 students were provided the benefit between 2001-03 however after that we did not receive any funds and thus the chain was broken. Now several students approach us for second installment and due to our helplessness many of them have left their course midway,” said an employee.
Announcements but what about implementation? An ad in the newspaper by the UP Govt.
Similar treatment was meted to Term Loan scheme of the department where no funds have been received after 2003-4. Earlier, a sum of 140 crores was provided which was passed as term loan for various technical vocation as laundry, photostat, taxi to minorities at 7 percent interest. “Usually it is cited that corporation lost the money due to non recovery but we had recovered Rs 85 crore besides issuing Realisation Certificate of Rs 25 crores to respective District Magistrates. Another Rs 30 crore is litigated in Uttranchal while Rs 2.96 crores is pending due in Bundelkhand region after the area was declared drought hit thus suspending the recovery,” said an employee. The NFMDC demanded a state guarantee for releasing next installment of Rs 30 crores but the state government failed to provide the same. In another Margin Money scheme where 15 percent of project cost was funded by corporation at 7.5 percent is also awaiting funds. The first installment of Rs 90 lakh has been exhausted while there seems to be no hope for other installment.
Managing Director (MD) UPMFDC Vimal Chandra Srivastava candidly admitted the sorry state of affairs at the corporation. “Things are not well in the corporation and we are doing our best to revive the organisation. Minority welfare is in our agenda and will be accomplished.” Srivastava stated that corporation’s board meeting is scheduled on March 4 where future strategy will be discussed. “No stone will be left unturned to revive it and our stress will be to prepare background for receiving pending Rs 30 crores grant from the centre,” he said.
State of UP is also lagging behind in its contribution towards the equity of NMFDC. It has met only about 16% of its obligation so far, lowest among all states.