(a) whether the S. R. Hashim Committee has opined that Muslim poors are poorer than the general category poors;
(b) if so, the details thereof; and
(c) the efforts being made by the Government to ameliorate the muslim poors in various States of the country including Andhra Pradesh?
MINISTER IN THE MINISTRY OF MINORITY AFFAIRS (SHRI SALMAN KHURSHID)
(a) & (b): An Expert Group under the Chairmanship of Prof. S.R. Hashim was constituted by the Planning Commission in May, 2010 to recommend the methodology for Identification of Families Living Below Poverty Line in the Urban Areas. The Expert Group in its Interim report submitted in May, 2011 recommended the general approach to capture poverty in urban areas in terms of specific ‘vulnerabilities’ covering broad categories of residential, occupational and social vulnerabilities in respect of all the poor including Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Muslims and other vulnerable sections of the society. The Expert Group also recommended a Questionnaire for collection of information through the on-going Socio Economic Caste Census (SECC) - 2011 to get the requisite inputs. The Expert Group is yet to submit its final report.
(c): The Ministry of Minority Affairs has initiated various measures to improve the quality of life of the minority communities in the country including Andhra Pradesh.
For the welfare of the minorities, the Prime Minister’s New 15 Point Programme was announced in June, 2006 with a view to incorporate programme specific interventions. The objective of this programme which involves the Ministry of Minority Affairs and 10 other Ministries / Departments, is to ensure that the benefits of various government schemes for the underprivileged reach the disadvantaged sections of the minority communities. The programme envisages location of a certain proportion of development projects in minority concentration areas so that the benefits of such schemes flow equitably to minorities. It also provides that, wherever possible, 15% of targets and outlays under various schemes should be earmarked for minorities. This Programme is monitored by the Ministry of Minority Affairs.
The Ministry is implementing the Multi-Sector Development Programme- a Centrally Sponsored Scheme which was launched in 2008-09 as an area development programme with the aim to improve the socio- economic infrastructure and basic amenities for uplifting the quality of life of the notified minorities in 90 Minority Concentration Districts(MCDs) in the country. There is no MCD in Andhra Pradesh.
Further, three scholarship schemes viz. Pre-matric Scholarship, Post-matric Scholarship, Merit-cum-means based Scholarship and one fellowship scheme called the Maulana Azad National Fellowship for the benefit of eligible students from notified minority communities which includes Muslim eligible students in the whole country including Andhra Pradesh is being implemented by the Ministry of Minority Affairs. These schemes are aimed at educational empowerment of the minority students from Primary to Higher Education Level including Technical and Professional education.