In an Eid-ul-Fitr gift, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Friday announced reservation of seats in higher education for minorities in the state.
Attending the largely attended Eid prayers on the arterial Indira Gandhi Sarani - erstwhile Red Road, Banerjee announced that the reservation for minorities would be introduced in higher education from the 2014 academic session.
"We want your children to become doctors and engineers. We want Muslim children and youth to advance in studies. The reservation of seats in higher education will be introduced from 2014," she said.
The chief minister said her government would extend help to the Muslim youth to start small shops, business establishments and other small scale business in the city as also the districts.
Banerjee's announcement is being interpreted as an effort to consolidate her Muslim vote bank ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.
Muslims constitute around 29 percent of the state's population.
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