10000 madarsas recognised for central aid
Calcutta, June 10: Mamata Banerjee today said around 10,000 madarsas would be given recognition so that they can qualify for central assistance.
The Bengal government, however, will not provide any monetary aid to these madarsas because of the state’s financial crisis, the chief minister said, a decision that drew criticism from at least one students’ forum.
Mamata, who also holds the minority affairs portfolio, told reporters at Writers’ that the recognition would make the madarsas eligible for central grants.
“Advertisements will soon be published in newspapers giving details on the procedure of applying to the government for the recognition,” Mamata said.
Sources in the minority affairs department said since the government would not bear the “financial burden” of these 10,000-odd madarsas, the institutions would have to continue arranging for their own funds to pay teachers’ salaries, construct school buildings and set up and maintain libraries.
“But if these madarsas are recognised, they will get central government aid. Such grants are given only if the institutions are recognised by the state government,” a source said.
S.M.S. Haidar, the chairman of the Congress-affiliated minority cell, said the recognised madarsas in the state get central assistance to the tune of Rs 1,250 crore every year for the construction of buildings under the Maulana Azad Education Foundation. Students passing out of the recognised madarsas get central loans at low interest rates for higher studies.
Mamata’s announcement evoked mixed reactions from the minority community.
“The Left Front government had not paid any heed to our demand that the unrecognised madarsas be given recognition. We welcome today’s move. But we hope the chief minister will take necessary steps to provide at least some financial assistance to us once the government overcomes the financial crisis,” said Daud-ul Haque, the general secretary of the West Bengal Madarsa Students’ Union.
But the leader of another students’ body said the outfit would “strongly oppose the state government if it does not agree to bear at least 50 per cent of the total expenses of the madarsas”.
At present, there are around 660 recognised madarsas in the state. The state government pays the salaries of the teachers and also funds infrastructure development.
Academics from the Muslim community had for long demanded that all madarsas in the state be recognised because a major portion of the funds the Centre gives to the state for development of the minority community could not be spent on these institutions.
Agriculture minister
Law minister Malay Ghatak will be given additional charge of the agriculture department, sources in the chief minister’s office said. A notification to this effect will be issued on Monday. Mamata now holds the agriculture portfolio.
https://www.telegraphindia.com/1110611/jsp/bengal/story_14099287.jsp
