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Bengaluru : The B S Yediyurappa administration has slashed funds for minority welfare schemes by 44% or Rs. 468 crore, as a result of which programmes that covered Muslims, Christians, Jains, Budhists and Sikhs have been discontinued this financial year.

According to information tabled in the Legislative Assembly by Minority Welfare Ministr Shrimant Patil, five schemes have been dropped in the 2020/21 financial year as no allocation was made for them. Construction of Muslim convention halls(Shadi Mahals), skill development for minorities, Bidaai(Shadi Bhagya), CM’s Minorities Development Scheme and financial aid to Jains, Buddhists and Sikhs.

Not just that, the government has cut funds for ongoing programmes aimed at minorities. They include funds for development of Christians, learning interventions in state run minority schools, Vidhyasiri stipend among others.

In all, the allocation for minority welfare that was Rs. 1,418.98 crore in 2019/20 has come down to Rs. 950 crore this fiscal year.

Bidaai was launched by the Siddaramaiah led congress government in which a Rs 50,000 one time marriage assistance was given to minority women, where it was originally ntended only for Muslims. “There were 32,516 pending applications in 2019/20 and each one was given Rs. 25,000 in a one-time settlement for which Rs 81.29 crore was released.” Patil told the Assembly in written reply.

The state government has announced Saptapadi, a mass marriage scheme that rivaled Bidaai, offering couples benefits worth Rs.55,000.

Patil said skill development for minorities was dropped as it was handed over to the skill development department. Providing funds for construction of Shaadi Mahals, the Chief Minister’s Minorities Development Scheme and aid for upkeep of places of religious worship of the Jains, Buddhists ad Sikhs were under examination at the government’s level, the minister said.

The Congress is expected to strengthen its electoral hold over minorities by going to town about the fund cuts. “The BJP’s attitude towards minorities is known. But, as a government, they have to take every community into confidence.” KPCC working president Saleem Ahmed said.

The government is also considering a proposal to set up a Maulana Azad Trust with a corpus of Rs. 25 crore to provide modern education to backward Muslims.