Mysuru: Primary and Secondary Education, Minority Welfare and Waqf Minister Tanveer Sait inaugurated slum-dwellers’ houses in Kurimandi and a hostel in R.S. Naidu Nagar, both coming under N.R. Constituency, yesterday.

Out of the 100 homes constructed in Kurimandi, six houses had developed cracks and were crumbling. Those houses were demolished and reconstructed in G+1 model at a cost of Rs.30 lakh. Sait inaugurated those houses and handed over the keys of to the beneficiaries.

Along with that, he also inaugurated the Rs.1.50 crore worth working women’s hostel for Minorities. Speaking later, Sait said that the Minorities Department which was started in 1998 had entered its 20th year now. Chief Minister Siddharamaiah had, along with giving facilities for education development of Minorities, announced in the Budget speech that 10 working women’s hostel will be started in the State. Accordingly, the hostel building has been inaugurated, he added.

“When I was the Chairman of the Minorities and Backward Classes Commission, I had proposed the working women’s hostel scheme. And to bring it to fruition, I had to return as its Minister. Today in Bengaluru –  three, Tumkuru, Mangaluru, Belgavi, Davangere, Kalaburagi and Mysuru, one hostel each has been opened. There are 374 Minorities hostels in the State and 29,000 students staying in them. Apart from them, there are 129 residential schools and 25,000 students studying there,” he said.

The Minorities Dept. has been working in the interest of the people by promoting vocational courses. It is giving scholarship to Nursing course and Law students and 10,000 students in the State are getting scholarships. This year there are plans to give scholarships to 25,000 students, he said. “We will also encourage students from these communities to take up Journalism courses. Coaching classes have been arranged for aspirants taking up KAS and UPSC exams and three people have passed the UPSC exams,” he said.

The Government has come to the aid of Minorities by providing them with lot of facilities in the hostels. The Government has allocated Rs.3,724 crore for Minorities. Hence, all of you must work hard to help remove poverty among the community, he told the students.

Aziz Sait Block President Abdul Khadar Shahid, Christian leader Raju, MUDA former Member Anwar Pasha, Congress leaders Mahadev, Rasool, Rafi, K. Ramu, Mohammad Anwar and Venugopal were present.

Gold Medallists Fouzia Banu and Rehana Begum, both hostelites, studying in University of Mysore, have brought laurels to the Minorities Department and the Government.

—Minister Tanveer Sait