Shabbir Slams Centre's Meagre Minority Allocation
Shabbir Ali noted that Telangana alone had allocated ₹3,591 crore for its minorities welfare department in 2025-26, and Karnataka over ₹4,000 crore.
Hyderabad: Government adviser Mohammed Ali Shabbir on Sunday criticised the Union Budget allocation for minority welfare, stating that the Centre’s provision for the entire country was lower than what several states were spending individually.
The former minister accused the BJP-led NDA government of once again failing to accord priority to minority welfare despite a massive expansion in overall expenditure. He said the total allocation for the ministry of minority affairs for 2026–27 stood at ₹3,400 crore, comprising ₹3,395.62 crore under the revenue section and ₹4.38 crore under capital expenditure. This represented an increase of barely ₹50 crore over the previous year, even as the overall size of the Union Budget rose sharply, he pointed out.
Shabbir Ali noted that Telangana alone had allocated ₹3,591 crore for its minorities welfare department in 2025-26, and Karnataka over ₹4,000 crore.
He urged the Centre to substantially revise its allocations and ensure adequate funding for education, skill development and livelihood programmes for minorities, stressing that genuine inclusion was essential for social justice and sustainable national development.
