ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Ministry of Religious Affairs and Inter-faith Harmony has spent Rs 163.06 million on repair and maintenance of religious places of minorities in last three years from its Minorities Welfare Fund, according to an official.
According to details, Rs 61.23 million had been spent on repair and maintenance of worship places during 2013-14, Rs 50.83 million during 2014-15 and Rs 51 million during the year 2015-16.
He said, mosques in the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) are being looked after by Auqaf department. As per 18th amendment the protection of worship places is the responsibility of the ministry of Interior and respective provincial governments.
The ministry has enhanced rates of minority welfare fund to help improving minority’ destiny. The ministry has increased financial assistance of deserving minorities from Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000. The assistance is granted to deserving individuals once a financial year by minister, state minister for religious affairs and interfaith harmony and minority legislators from their allocate share.
Widow, orphan minority girls are being provided marriage grant of Rs 50,000 to help meet expenses.
Over 8,690 deserving minority persons had been paid Rs 46.05 million as financial assistance in last two and half years. A sum Rs 19.78 million had been paid to 2,786 minorities during financial year 2013-14, Rs 17.89 million paid to 4,158 persons and over Rs 8.38 million has so far distributed among 1,746 deserving minorities during financial year 2015-16.
Meanwhile, the ministry has disbursed scholarships worth over Rs 77.49 million among over 4,893 deserving minority students of in last three years. Likewise, Rs 20.40 million scholarships had been distributed among 2,546 deserving non-Muslim students during financial year 2013-14.
Likewise, a sum of Rs 57.09 million had been distributed as scholarships among 2,347 minority students during financial year 2014-15.
A sum of Rs 25 million has been allocated during financial year2015-16 for onward distribution among the minority students. Several applications of scholarships are under process.
It merits mentioning here that the Religious Ministry offers scholarships to orphans, destitute, needy and poor minority students having good educational record from primary to professional levels.
According to the criteria, the regular students of Hindu, Sikh, Christian, Buddhists, and other communities, having at least 50 percent marks in their last annual examination are eligible for the scholarships.
Also, the monthly income of parent/guardian of school level applicants must not exceed from Rs 10,000 per month. Likewise, the income of higher classes’ student parents should not cross Rs 20,000 per month.
The heads of educational institutions of the applicants has been authorized to forward the applications after checking veracity of documents of the guardian/parent of the student.
Source: APP
