Centre serious on growth of poor, minorities: Minister

Stressing the need for effective implementation of various central welfare schemes, union Minister of State for Parliamentary and Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Friday said the "union government was serious about inclusive growth of the poor and the minorities".

"There is a need for providing benefits of welfare schemes and light of development to the last needy person," he said while chairing a review meeting here on prime minister's new 15-point programme for socio-economic and educational development and empowerment of the minorities.

Representatives of 17 central government ministries attended the meeting, an official statement said.

"Our aim is to provide benefits of development to the needy without any hurdle," he said, adding that the meeting was fruitful as representatives of the ministries assured that the welfare schemes would be taken to the grass-roots level with complete sincerity and commitment.