By TCN News
Ahmadabad: A convention of prominent activists in the field of education today lambasted the Gujarat Government for failing to implement the Central Government Sponsored Minority Schemes thus depriving 50,000 beneficiaries since 2007-08 the year of inception of the schemes.
The meeting was jointly convened by the Students Islamic Organisation of India, Gujarat Zone & Federation of Muslim Educational Institutions of India, Gujarat Chapter and was attended by the prominent activists including Kalim Ansari – President SIO Gujarat, Muhammad Shafi Madni – President Jamaat-e-Islami Gujarat, Gyasuddin Sheikh – Member of Legislative Assembly Gujarat State, Kasam Vora – CEO, Gujarat Sarvajanik Education Society, Gulab Khan Rauma – Social Acivist, Patan, Fazal Sheikh – Nodal Officer, Indian Technical Institutes Gondal Region, Juned Sheikh – Social Activist, Amjad Khan – Municipal Councillor Ahmedabad, Dr.Iftikhar Malik – Social Activist Modasa, Abdul Kadir Memon, President -Jamat-e-Islami Sabarkantha and members of SIO of India among others.
The participants were also critical of the Central Government for not pushing the State Government to discharge its duty. The participants felt that the Central Government was well aware of the ill intentions of the State Government and should have tried to implement the scheme through a nodal agency directly reporting to the Centre. If the Central Government would have shown resolve they could have channelised their 75% share and thus prevented at least Rs.10 Crores from getting lapsed every year.
The activists also expressed their displeasure towards lack of clarity in the procedures for easier implementation of scholarship schemes. The participants also agreed to urge State as well as Central government for increasing the number of beneficiaries of entire Minority Community including Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Parsis and ones defined by the Central Government in all schemes viz. Merit Cum Means Scholarship, Post Matric Scholarships & Pre-Matric Scholarships.They also demanded single window arrangement for all correspondences required for the Scholarships.
The participants vowed to launch an awareness campaign among the masses and also mobilise resources to influence the government machinery and the political parties for sincere implementation of the schemes intended for the Minorities. It was also decided during the meeting to publish a Scholarship Guide and to set up help centres in all the districts of the State for the benefit of the students’ community.