Hyderabad: An RTI query has revealed Telangana government’s underutilisation of the budget allocated for minority welfare, and shows that less than 50% of the funds are being spent.
The RTI filed by activist Kareem Ansari revealed that, as of 2023, the budget allocated for the maintenance of tuition fees amounted to Rs 70.80 crore, with only Rs 11.7 crore spent so far.
Similarly, the budget for the reimbursement of tuition fees stood at Rs 236 crore, of which only Rs 111 crore have been utilised.
For overseas scholarships, the government allocated Rs 118 crore, of which Rs 54.717 crore have been spent. The pre-matric scholarship received a budget of Rs 1.7 crore, though expenditure details were not disclosed. The Shadi Mubarak scheme had Rs 450 crore allocated, and only Rs 207.7 crore were spent.
Moreover, Rs 121.92 crore was allocated to Telangana Minorities Residential Educational Institutions Society DIET charges, but only Rs 12.05 crore has been spent.
In response to this revelation, activist Kareem Ansari has called for increased transparency and effective utilisation of allocated funds to ensure the welfare of minority communities.
The data presented raises questions about the efficiency of the government in implementing schemes aimed at benefiting minorities, urging authorities to address the underutilisation issue promptly.
