Question : Basic Amenities to Minorities

(a) the details of the financial assistance provided by the Government for development of basic amenities in minority dominated areas of the country during each of the last three years and the current year, State/UT-wise;

(b) the norms/criterion to declare a city/town as minority dominated in the country;

(c) whether some of the cities/towns have not been declared minority dominated despite being eligible under the said norms/ criterion in the country;

(d) if so, the details thereof, State/ UT-wise and the reasons therefor;

(e) the existing mechanism to monitor the development of minority dominated areas in the country;and

(f) the other steps taken/being taken by the Government to ensure overall development of minority
dominated areas across the country?

MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) IN THE MINISTRY OF
MINORITY AFFAIRS (SHRI MUKHTAR ABBAS NAQVI)

(a) The details of the funds released under Multi-sectoral Development Programme during
each of the last three years and the current year, State/UT-wise is annexed.

(b) to (d) Under the Multi-sectoral Development Programme(MsDP), Towns/cities with a minimum of
25% minority population (in case of 6 States/UTs namely Lakshawdeep, Punjab, Nagaland,
Meghalaya, Mizoram and Jammu & Kashmir, 15% of minority population, other than that of the
minority community in majority in that State/UT) having both socio-economic and basic amenities
parameters below national average, have been identified as Minority Concentration Towns/Cities
for the implementation of the programme during the 12th Plan Period. The data used for
identification of the area was of Census, 2001. Only blocks and towns which meet the criteria are
identified as minority concentration areas. List of such area is in the website of the Ministry at
http://www.minorityaffairs.gov.in/sites/default/files/guideline.pdf.

(e) Under the extant guidelines of the programme, there is a provision for robust monitoring
mechanism. Under this mechanism, the Block Level Committee (BLC) for MsDP monitors the
implementation of MsDP at the block level. The District Level Committees and State Level
Committees, constituted for implementation of the Prime Minister’s New 15 Point Programme, are
the Oversight Committees at the District and State levels respectively to monitor the progress of
implementation of MsDP. The Empowered Committee at the Centre also serves as the Oversight
Committee to monitor the progress of implementation of MsDP.

(f) To ensure the overall development of Minority dominated area across the country, the Ministry has
initiated a process for restructuring of the programme for the implementation in remaining period of
14th Finance Commission including revision in the list of Minority Concentration Areas based on
the 2011 Census data.
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