‘Budget for minority dev has increased to Rs 4,500 crore’

The WBMDFC not only disburses loans but also provides scholarships to meritorious students from minority communities under the state government’s ‘Aikyashree’ scholarship scheme from class I to PhD students. 

MP, 29 Jan 2024, Kolkata: Since the Trinamool Congress (TMC)-led government has come to power, the Budget for minority development has increased to Rs 4,500 crore, state Minister Firhad Hakim said during the inauguration of Milan Utsav at Park Circus Maidan, which will continue till January 31. 

Organised by the West Bengal Minorities Development and Finance Corporation, the main objective of the Utsav is to facilitate the marketing of the products made by the artisans and beneficiaries while providing them a platform to meet with the big traders and online sellers to expand their customer base. 

The WBMDFC not only disburses loans but also provides scholarships to meritorious students from minority communities under the state government’s ‘Aikyashree’ scholarship scheme from class I to PhD students. 

The scholarship was started in 2019 by CM. In the first year, around 37.5 lakh students got scholarships. 

Every year around 45 lakh scholarships are disbursed involving a total amount of Rs 1200 crore. So far, 3.89 crores scholarship has been disbursed involving Rs 7796.14 crore. 

In 2023-24, there were around 42 lakh applications, out of which around 25 lakh scholarships have been disbursed. 

Moreover, around 1100 individual loans and around one lakh self-help group members are given loans every year. Hakim said that CM has been promoting development of minority children across the state. This has resulted in an increased number of students from minority communities cracking MBBS and taking part in West Bengal Civil Services (WBCS). 

According to him, over 100 people from minority communities are coming into the services. The Milan Utsav also has a job fair, education awareness camp, career counselling for jobs, display and sale of products as well as health examination camp in the health pavilion. Over 250 stalls with displays of various products have been put up in the fairground. 

A job fair has been organised on January 30, where around 5,000 job aspirants are likely to participate. 

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/budget-for-minority-dev-has-increased-to-rs-4500-crore-549889