A flat promise for Muslims

Chief minister Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee today said that the state government was contemplating a policy to ensure reservation of flats for Muslims in the various townships that were coming up in the state. Details of the policy were being worked out, he said.

While inaugurating Milan Mela at Park Circus Maidan today, the chief minister said: "A major problem for the Muslims is their poor economic condition. As such, we are thinking of formulating a policy that will ensure compulsory provision of flats to the Muslims."

He said that the state government had decided to allot the state minority affairs department around 22 acres of land in Salt Lake for setting up training facilities for Muslims who have experience in traditional embroidery work. A special action plan is also being devised for the Muslims by the state government includes development for the poorest of the poor by providing employment to deserving at the family level, and improving infrastructure at the local level.

The chief minister expressed dissatisfaction with the Sachar Committee Report which according to him, had failed to list the areas where the state had made considerable progress in improving the conditions of the minorities. However, he did say that it was indeed a "matter of shame" that the representation of Muslim youths in government jobs was as low three per cent. "The reason as to why the Muslim youths are lagging behind is not just poverty but also the backdated syllabus of the Madrassas. We are trying to upgrade the syllabus by introducing English and computers," Mr Bhattacharjee said.

For kids only
Chief minister Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee announced that the state would soon have a library and a cinema hall exclusively for children. He announced this today while inaugurating the newly formed "Shishu Kishore Akademi" and the seventh Shishu Sahitya Utsav at Nandan this evening, Mr Bhattacharjee announced the news.

Efforts will be made by all educational institutions, including Shishu Sahitya Akademi, to compile a collection of children's books, international fairy tales and a Bengali encyclopedia, which will be published in parts. "Children should be encouraged to think out of the box. There is a need to ignite the imagination of children," he added.

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