New Delhi, May 19 Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said that the central government is constantly updating and revising minority welfare schemes. He appealed to state governments to submit proposals related to minority welfare on time so that the schemes can be implemented effectively.
Speaking to reporters after addressing the conference of State Minority Commissions organized by the National Commission for Minorities, Rijiju said, “We will keep updating. That is why we keep revising minority welfare schemes. State governments are requested to send proposals as soon as possible.”
Responding to allegations by some political parties regarding Hajj, the minister said, “Muslims going on Hajj go with their own money. The Indian government does not provide even a single rupee for Hajj. Those who go on Hajj bear the expenses themselves. Some politicians are spreading misinformation on social media, which is not right.”
Rijiju said, “If we consider the Muslim population as a separate country, it would become the sixth largest in the world. Meanwhile, the Parsi community has a population of around 52,000-53,000, equivalent to a large village. Both have minority status.”
The primary objective of this one-day conference, organized by the National Commission for Minorities, was to review the functioning of state minority commissions and evaluate ongoing welfare schemes for minority communities. Minority welfare ministers from several states attended the conference.
Posting a photo of the conference on the social media platform X, Kiren Rijiju wrote, “It is a privilege to attend the conference held at Sushma Swaraj Bhavan.” He praised the team of the National Commission for Minorities, saying that the conference discussed development issues and assessed the performance of states.
The minister stressed the need to make minority commissions more effective so that development plans reach the last mile. He said that good work is being done in some states, but further improvement is needed in others.
