The minorities welfare minister, Mr Md Ahmedullah, said that the state will become an ideal for other states in the country in the implementation of the fee reimbursement scheme and scholarship schemes launched during the rule of Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy. He visited Kurnool on Sunday to review the issue of post-matric scholarships.

Speaking to mediapersons, Mr Ahmedullah said that the Congress government accorded priority to the welfare of minorities and added that steps were being taken to introduce new schemes for them.

He said that fund allocation for issue of scholarships and fee reimbursement schemes was increased from Rs.93 crore in 2003-04 to Rs.4,000 crore.

The minister said that steps were being taken to sanction fee reimbursement and scholarships to 25 lakh poor students this year. He said that 93,000 students in Kurnool district had applied for scholarships. Mr Ahmedullah said that steps would be taken to implement the fee reimbursement scheme and issue of scholarships in a foolproof manner from the next academic year.

Meanwhile, collector Ram Shankar Naik and superintendent of police Sivaprasad met the minister wearing traditional Muslim caps, though the minister had no such cap on.