Hyderabad: The Minorities Welfare department has done better than other welfare departments in spending the funds allotted in Budget 2017-18.
The Backward Class, Scheduled Caste, and Scheduled Tribes welfare departments lag behind, but the Minorities welfare department has made much better use of funds meant for social, economic and educational development of minorities.
The Minorities welfare department is handled by the Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao and this has probably goaded officials in the department to do their work more efficiently as any negligence in utilisation of funds would give Opposition parties the chance to criticise the CM and it’s the officials in the department who would have to face the music.
The government sanctioned '1,320 crore for minorities' welfare in Budget 2017-18, and about 70 per cent has been utilised so far, which leaves 30 per cent to be spent in the remaining 37 days of this fiscal. For minority residential schools, which became a huge hit, the government sanctioned '425 crore, of which '348 crore has been spent. For Shaadi Mubarak scheme, '150 crore was sanctioned and '115 crore was spent. For scholarships '162 crore was sanctioned, of which '99 crore was spent.
The government also sanctioned Rs 55 crore for Iftar/Christmas parties, for organising dinners and distributing clothes, of which Rs 20 crore was spent.
