"Where is promised Rs 4,000 crore budget for minorities?" asks BRS

HYDERABAD: BRS leader Shaik Abdullah Sohail has strongly condemned the Congress Government for not allocating sufficient funds for the welfare of minorities in the vote on account budget presented by Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka on Saturday for the financial year 2024-25.

"In a budget of about Rs 2.75 lakh crore, a meagre sum of Rs 2,262 crore has been allocated for minorities' welfare. This is just 0.82% of the total budget and only Rs 62 crore higher than the allocation made by the previous BRS Govt in 2023-24," Abdullah Sohail said in a media statement on Saturday.

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He highlighted that there was no mention of minority welfare schemes in the budget. In a 40-page speech, the word "minority" was mentioned only five times with no specific reference to any scheme. Sohail pointed out that the Congress Govt had only stated that existing residential schools for minorities would be strengthened but did not make any allocations. While Rs 1,000 crore had been allocated for the construction of SC schools and Rs 250 for ST schools, no provision was made for minority schools.

"Where is the promised Rs 4,000 crore budget for minorities and a Minorities Sub-Plan?" he asked, referring to the promises made in the Minorities Declaration by the Congress party during Assembly elections. Sohail accused the Congress Government of cheating minorities in the name of doubling the welfare budget compared to the BRS regime.

"The Congress Government is taking revenge on minorities who voted for the BRS in previous elections. First, it deprived Muslims of a berth in the State Cabinet, and now, by neglecting them in the budget, it is sidelining their welfare," he alleged.

Abdullah Sohail announced that the BRS party would launch an agitation to pressurise the Government to honour the promise of a Rs 4,000 crore budget, the minorities sub-plan, and other assurances.