Ahmedabad: The Minority Coordination Committee Gujarat (MCCG), led by Mujahid Nafees, has submitted a detailed budget proposal to the Gujarat government, urging an allocation of ₹193 crore for the welfare and protection of the state’s minority communities in the 2025-26 budget.
Minorities in Gujarat constitute 11.5% of the population, including Muslims (9.7%), Jains (1.0%), Christians (0.5%), Sikhs (0.1%), Buddhists (0.1%), and others (0.1%). The MCCG highlighted pressing issues such as the high dropout rate among Muslim girls (10.18% at the primary level) and rising unemployment in both rural and urban areas.
Key Proposals in the Budget Request:
Minority Welfare Ministry & State Minority Commission – A dedicated ministry and commission to oversee minority affairs and ensure policy implementation.
Education & Skill Development – ₹50 crore for scholarships (pre-matric, post-matric, and professional courses), skill training, and livelihood initiatives.
Infrastructure & Housing – ₹20 crore for housing schemes, ₹5 crore for infrastructure in riot-affected areas, and ₹2 crore for working women’s hostels.
Economic Upliftment – ₹30 crore for economic development programs and ₹5 crore for strengthening Waqf Boards and traditional arts.
Employment & Higher Education – ₹5 crore for skill development and ₹2 crore for interest subsidies on overseas education loans.
Social Welfare & Protection – ₹5 crore for religious pilgrim support, ₹5 crore for minority welfare media campaigns, and ₹10 crore for voluntary organizations working for minorities.
Additionally, MCCG has called for the enactment of a Minorities (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, stricter anti-mob lynching laws, and the full implementation of the Prime Minister’s 15-Point Programme for Minorities.
The committee emphasized that these measures would contribute to the empowerment and socio-economic upliftment of Gujarat’s minority communities, aligning with constitutional principles of justice and equality.
