Telangana government announces sops for minorities

The Telangana government today decided to provide financial assistance of up to Rs 2.5 lakh for the self-employment of youth from minority communities on a full subsidy basis without any bank linkage.
The government also decided to "develop an exclusive industrial estate and IT corridor for Muslims", said a release issued by the office of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao.
"For the self-employment of the minority youth without having any link to the bank, cent per cent subsidy should be given to the units having worth about Rs 1 lakh to Rs 2.5 lakh and the district collectors should monitor this," it said.

Rao, who held a meeting on welfare of minorities with ministers and officials, decided on "developing an exclusive industrial estate and IT corridor for Muslims", it said.
He asked the officials to develop "Charminar and its surrounding areas like the Golden Temple in Amritsar," the release said.
The 42-km stretch along the Musi river here should be developed like the Sabarmati riverfront in Gujarat, Rao said.

"Make arrangements for plying metro and nano rail along the Musi river bank... Develop shopping complexes, parks as well as double bed room houses for the poor," he said.
He told the officials to construct Hyderabad International Islamic Cultural Convention Centre on a 10-acre area at Kokapet here at par with international standards.

"Action should be taken to ensure that minorities get 10 per cent quota in the double bed room" scheme of the state government, Rao said.
It was also decided in the meeting to release Rs 40 crore from the Special Development Fund (SDF) (of the state government) to take up several emergency works under the Hyderabad parliamentary constituency, the release said.
Deputy Chief Minister Md Mahmood Ali, several ministers, Hyderabad MP and MIM president Asaduddin Owaisi and others attended the meeting.