Sops galore for minorities in UP budget

Eyeing its core minority votebank, the Samajwadi Party government made a significant allocation of over Rs 2,000 crore for their welfare, especially to promote education, in the 2016-17 annual budget.
Minority communities account for 16 to 18 per cent of Uttar Pradesh's electorate.
The budget presented in the state assembly by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has earmarked Rs 537 crore for scholarships to pre-10th standard students belonging to the minority communities.
Besides, Rs 153 crore has been earmarked for post-10th standard scholarship and another Rs 150 crore for fees disbursement. The budget also makes an allocation of Rs 394 crore for providing modern education in recognised madarsas and maqtabs.

Rs 400 crore has been earmarked for construction of boundary walls around cremation grounds, which is an increase of Rs 200 crore over the previous year's provision.
Rs 395 crore has been proposed for multi-sectoral district development plan and Rs 5 lakh financial assistance to Dar-ul-Musannefeen, Azamgarh for construction of a library.

An Urdu mass communication and media centre will be set up at Uttar Pradesh Urdu Akademi here.
Besides minorities welfare, the budget takes care of weavers, allocating Rs 30 crore for pension scheme for handloom weavers above 60 years, Rs 15 crore for powerloom development scheme and Rs 5 crore for supplying power at cheap rates to handloom weavers.

Rs 2 crore has been earmarked for supplying power at cheap rates to 'dhunkars'.