Slew of schemes for minorities: Aowal

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, June 14: A number of schemes have been taken up by the Assam Minority Development Board (AMDB) for the development minority communities in the State.

AMDB chairman Mominul Aowal said this after the first meeting of the board held in the city today. One of the schemes, according to Aowal, is pre-matric scholarship for 1.44 lakh students belonging to minority communities at the rate of Rs 1,000 a year for students of Class I to V and Rs 5,700 a year for students of Class VI to IX. The aspirant students with above 50 per cent marks have to apply for it between June 1 and August 31 this year. The amount will be sent to students’ individual accounts.

According to Aowal, a budget of Rs 12 crore has been fixed for the Board this year for eight other schemes set to be completed by December this year. The schemes include blocks not covered by MSDP. The schemes are for the construction of girls’ toilets, community complexes, honing skills of unemployed, social survey in sar areas, popularizing organic farming among the minorities, etc. Aowal said that stress would be laid on introduction of science and technology in Madrassa education in the State. He said he is trying his best to do away with corruption in the board. He denied the allegation levelled by the Congress that Rs 24 lakh was spent by the Board to hold an Iftar party recently. He said that he would drag the party to the court. He said that the Iftar was held with dotions from board members and others. The total collection was Rs 2.10 lakh and the spending was Rs 1,90,608, he added.