Minority Affairs

Objectives

Minorities Affairs and Madrasah Education Department has taken initiative to formulate schemes for overall development of the Minority Communities with special emphasis on the largest Minority Community in West Bengal i.e., Muslims constituting of more than 25 % of the total population of West Bengal. The objective of the development deficits is to improve the socio-economic parameters and the basic amenities parameters of the district as a whole so as to bring them at par with the national average. Critical infrastructure linkages that are required for optimizing service, economic opportunities could also be taken up under this programme. Priority for location of social and economic infrastructure should be given to villages/ blocks/localities having a substantial population of minority communities. As far as possible, the focus of the programme would be for providing appropriate social and economic infrastructure rather than targeting individual beneficiaries. The district has: 6,16,778 minority population i.e., 12.91 % of total population consisting of 5,92,587 Muslims (12.41%), 18209 Christians (0.38%), 2661 Sikhs (0.06%), 1844 Buddhists (0.04%) and 1477Jains (0.03%). Out of total minority population in the district, Muslim population is 12.41 % in respect to total population of the district. Highest minority populated Block is Keshpur, it has 95029 (28.01%) Muslims population and then Garhbeta-I 50743(22.21%), Midnapore Sadar 49218(25.58), Garhbeta-III 46478(27.33). In respect of community classification, Keshpur has the highest Muslim population (95029) followed by Garhbeta-I(50743), Midnapore Sadar(49039), Garhbeta-III(46330), Kharagpur Municipality(26893). Keshiary, Kharagpur-I, Midnapore Municipality and Kharagpur Municipality holds more Christian population i.e. 4470, 3899,1558, 3094 respectively. Highest concentration of Sikh population at Kharagpur Municipality (1610) and then at Kharagpur-I Block (544). Kharagpur Municipality also holds most Jain population i.e. 903. Buddhist population is mainly concentrated at Kharagpur-I Block (869) and Kharagpur Municipality (423).

Scheme running under this Section

Sankhyalaghu Unnayan Prakalpa SUP (erstwhile MsDP)

Objective of this scheme:

To improve socio-economic of Minorities and provide basic amenities to them for improving quality of life and reducing infrastructure imbalances in identified minority concentrated areas where minority population above 25%.

Type of the Scheme:

Infrastructural development scheme especially in the field of education, health and skill development like-

• Additional Class Room (ACR)
• Health Sub Centre (HSC)
• Karmatirtha (KT)
• Hostel (Girls & Boys)
• SSK Building

Integrated Minority Development Programme (IMDP)

Objective of this scheme:

To improve socio-economic of Minorities and provide basic amenities to them for improving quality of life and reducing infrastructure imbalances in identified minority concentrated blocks and minority clusters having substantive minority population (20-25%) but not cover under MsDP.

Type of the Scheme:

Infrastructural development scheme especially in the field of education, health and skill development like-

• Additional Class Room (ACR)
• Health Sub Centre (HSC)
• Tube Well
• Community Hall
• Toilet

Development and Welfare of Minorities

Objective of this scheme:

To bridge the critical gap in infrastructure especially in those areas which have sizeable population of minorities but are not covered under MsDP/IMDP.

Type of the Scheme:

Any infrastructural development scheme which substantially benefits the minorities especially in the field of education, helath and rural connectivity. The focus is given on the following types of schemes.

• Additional Class Rooms, Drinking Water Facilities, Toilet Blocks and Boundary Wall etc for schools having 70% or more minority students.
• Drinking water supply scheme as per PHE norms in Gram Sansad with 70% or more minority population.
• Small connecting roads in rural areas in gram panchayat sansads having 75% or more minority population.
• Multipurpose Community Halls in GPs having 50% or more minority population.

Destitute Minority Women Rehabilitation Programme (DMWRP)

Objective of this scheme:

To provide shelter to the Destitute Minority Women of Rs. 1.20 lakh

Eligibility Criteria:

• The Selected women should be citizen of India.
• She must be destitute/Divorcee/deserted by husband who has none to look after.

Boundary wall around graveyard/mosque/mazar/idgah

Objective of this scheme:

To provide financial assistance for construction of boundary walls around public grayevard, mosque, idgah and mazar used by public with a view to safeguard religious places and prevent encroachment and trespassing.

Any applicant can apply through this Online Portal –

Click Here

Documents required for online application: –

• BL & LRO/BDO/SDO/DOMA Certificate.
• Site Plan.
• Resolution of Meeting.
• Sketch Map.
• Mouza Map.

Infrastructural support to reputed NGOs

Objective of this scheme:

To provide financial support upto Rs. 50 lakh to the NGOs to enable them to enhance and modernize their existing infrastructure and intake capacity in order to supplement the Government’s effort in augmenting the infrastructure and reach in the field of education, skill development & health awareness.

Application in prescribed format should be submitted to MA & ME Department in online mode by logging in to

Click Here

Eligibility Criteria: –

• The NGO should be registered as a Trust/Society/Company with the appropriate registering authority.
• It must have at least 3(three) years’ experience in implementing successfully Minority related projects on education, health and skill development.
• It must have a minimum administrative infrastructure of its own to run the project.
• It must be economically stable to run the project it is implementing.
• The project or unit benefiting must be located in the vicinity of the habitation of minority people, so that the majority of the beneficiaries of the scheme are from the minority communities.

SCHOLARSHIP(AIKYASHREE)

Pre- Matric(Class I to X): –

Objective of this scheme: –

To encourage the parents of children belonging to minority communities to send their children to school, ease their financial burden on education and help them in completing high school. Scholarship amount ranges from Rs. 1100 to Rs. 11000 p.a., subject to actuals.

Post- Matric (Class XI to PhD): –

Objective of this scheme: –

To provides meritorious students belonging to weaker section of minority communities an opportunity for higher education, increase their rate of attainment in Higher Education and thus enhance their employability. Scholarship amount ranges from Rs. 2500 to Rs. 16500 p.a., subject to actuals.

Merit Cum Means (Technical Course after class XII ): –

Objective of this scheme: –

To enable minority students to pursue professional and technical courses at graduate and post graduate level. Scholarship amount upto Rs. 33000 per year.

Post Matric Stipend (Class XI to PhD): –

Objective of this scheme: –

To prevent drop-out of the students who are eager to continue higher education but could not perform better in earlier examination because of social and educational constraint. Scholarship amount ranges from Rs. 2500 to Rs. 4900 p.a.

LOAN

Term Loan: –

Objective of this scheme: –

To provide soft loan to individual minority youth for small & medium business to help them in improving their economic status. Loan amount upto Rs.5 lakh.

Direct Lending Scheme (DLS): –

Objective of this scheme: –

To provide financial assistance to SHG for upliftment of their financial status. Loan amount upto Rs.1 lakh per member.