· Advisor to Telangana Government holds review with newly appointed Principal Secretary B. Shafiullah

Hyderabad, June 19: Advisor to the Telangana Government for SC, ST, OBC, and Minorities, Mohammed Ali Shabbir, on Thursday held a crucial review meeting with the Minorities Welfare Department and directed the officials to ensure effective and time-bound implementation of all minority welfare schemes across the State.

The meeting, held at Shabbir Ali’s chambers in the Dr B.R. Ambedkar Telangana Secretariat, was attended by the newly appointed Principal Secretary of the Minorities Welfare Department, B. Shafiullah, and TMREIS President Faheem Qureshi. The leaders discussed various issues concerning the functioning of the Minorities Department, focusing particularly on financial constraints, structural gaps, and inter-departmental coordination required to implement schemes successfully.

During the meeting, Shabbir Ali emphasised the need for synergy among all officials to ensure that the schemes aimed at the socio-economic upliftment of minorities reach the intended beneficiaries without delays or procedural roadblocks. The discussion also included the necessity of expediting the release of funds earmarked for several schemes, along with efforts to obtain matching grants under Centrally Sponsored Schemes from the Government of India. He directed the department to closely follow up with the Centre and prepare a strong case to secure more financial assistance for minority welfare initiatives in Telangana. There was also a focused conversation on improving the infrastructure and admission process in the Telangana Minority Residential Educational Institutions Society (TMREIS) schools, where Shabbir Ali instructed officials to push for maximum enrolment to fill all available seats in these institutions. He noted that these residential schools were established with the vision to provide quality education to economically disadvantaged students from minority communities and should operate at full capacity. He stressed that until 100 per cent enrolment is achieved, more awareness campaigns and community outreach should be taken up.

The meeting revealed that currently only 26 per cent of TMREIS schools function from government-owned buildings, while the rest are operating out of rented or leased premises. To address this, it was resolved that construction of dedicated school buildings must be completed in a phased manner over the next two to three years. Shabbir Ali reiterated that education infrastructure cannot remain dependent on private or temporary arrangements and assured that the government would extend all necessary support to fast-track this process. He also reviewed the status of other minority-related institutions and asked Shafiullah to prepare a comprehensive report on the performance of all these institutions.

Shabbir Ali said that the Telangana Government, under Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, has significantly increased the budgetary allocation for minority welfare. In the State Budget for the financial year 2025–26, presented earlier in March, the Congress government earmarked Rs 3,591 crore for minority welfare, which is a record-high allocation and an increase of nearly Rs 588 crore from the Rs 3,003 crore allotted in the previous year. The allocation includes provisions for educational scholarships, subsidised loans under the Rajiv Yuva Vikasam Scheme, skill development, overseas education support, and various other empowerment measures. However, in the past, there have been concerns over the underutilisation of allocated funds. He emphasised that all departments must ensure full utilisation of sanctioned budgets to achieve measurable outcomes for the community. (eom)