Hyderabad : In a critical response to the Interim Budget 2024-25 presented by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the Lok Sabha, Senior Congress leader and advisor to the Telangana government, Muhammad Ali Shabbir, voiced his disappointment over the limited allocations for minorities. The budget, which earmarked only Rs 3,183 crore for minorities, saw a marginal increase of Rs 86 crore from the previous year’s allocation of Rs 3,097.60 crore.
Expressing concern, Shabbir highlighted that allocating a mere 0.000668% of the annual budget to the minority population, constituting over 15% of the country, is disheartening. In a press statement, he questioned the disparity and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to clarify his plans for the welfare of minorities, especially in light of the “Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas” motto.
Muhammad Ali Shabbir strongly condemned the budget cuts affecting various schemes, with a particular focus on the education sector. The Maulana Azad National Fellowship for minority students witnessed a reduction from Rs 96 crore to Rs 45.08 crore, while funds for free coaching and related schemes for minorities were slashed from Rs 30 crore to Rs 10 crore.
Shabbir emphasized that the interim budget has laid bare the hollowness of Prime Minister Modi’s promises of inclusive development, further underlining the need for a more equitable distribution of resources to uplift minority communities.