According to the newspaper reports there is a growing crisis of confidence between some Muslim groups and the State Government. This needs to be avoided through patient dialogue and understanding.

I personally feel that your government should immediately take the following steps:

Institutional:

1. Establish a Department of Minority Affairs and place it directly under yourself, to act as a catalyst, coordinator and monitor all official institutions relating to the minorities and their share in all development/welfare schemes of the State Govt.

2.Establish the State Minorities Welfare Committee to monitor the implementation of the revised Programme for the Welfare of the Minorities and activate district level committees in every district.

Wakf:

1) Establish the State Wakf Board in accordance with the Act of 1995 and sanction a suitable grant-in-aid to meet expenditure on establishment.

2) Form the Rajasthan Wakf Development Corporation with a capital of at least 10 crores to provide financial assistance for the commercial development of urban wakf properties.

3) Undertake the delimitation and construction of boundary walls of graveyards in urban areas.

Economic Development:

1) Establish a separate Minorities Finance Development Corporation. The idea of having an Economic Cell in the Minorities Commission is misconceived and will not do much good.

2) Instruct the development authorities (in every Deptt.) that in the flow of development resources, bank loan, training facilities and welfare benefits under every centrally-sponsored and state schemes, Muslim community and Muslim concentration areas should have due share, generally in proportion to its population at the operational level in the area.

Advise the banks operating in the state to ensure adequate credit flow to Muslim community through all their branches and monitor it.

Education and Urdu:

1) As in MP, government primary schools should be set up in every locality - urban or rural - of Muslim concentration, on demand, in accordance with national norms with adequate infrastructure and staff.

2) All private madarsas (as distinct from Maktabs) whichwish to modernise their syllabus including Hindi, English, Arithmetic, Elementary Science and Social Studies should be financially assisted to pay for the

Steps taken by Government of Rajasthan for the Welfare of Minorities (as on 30.4.99)

For the first time in 50 years State Government have set apart Rs.3 crores in the annual budget for the year 1999-2000 for economic development of minorities, a separate corporation is being set up for this purpose, so that artisans and handicraft workers of minorities could be given financial assistance (loans and subsidies) for employment generation and their economic upliftment.

For getting maximum financial assistance and loan from National Minorities Financial Development Corporation the required government guarantee would be, made available by the State government.

For attaining the goal of universalization of elementary education the State government have launched an ambitious programme of opening 10,000 elementary education centres, each centre would be given a one time grant of Rs.8,000 for logistic support and Rs.1200/- per month would be provided as honorarium to those social workers who would be teaching the students at these centres.

The coverage of the above scheme has been extended to recognised 619 Madarsas in the state, so that basic facilities could be made available to the students of minority communities studying at these madarsas. This would benefit 93,824 students studying in these madarsas registered with Rajasthan Waqf Board.

In the current financial year books worth Rs.19.34 lacs have been distributed free of cost to the students studying in these madarsas referred above.

200 new posts of Urdu school teachers would be created and filled up during the next financial year 1999-2000

For the first time in last 50 years the state government have provided full insurance coverage (of Rs.2 lakhs) to all the 1100 Haj pilgrims from the State ...

The State Minorities Commission which has been lying defunct for last three years is going to be revived ...

The defunct State Urdu Academy (is being) revived with financial grant ...

The State government have ensured that officers belonging to minority communities are given important assignment befitting their seniority and merit.

There are only three IAS officers in the State from minorities, one has been posted as Forest Secretary and the remaining two have been posted as Collector and District Magistrate. From the IPS the important charge of S.P., Alwar has also been given to an officer from the minority community. An officer from the minority community has been made Director of Agriculture Marketing. (Source: CM of Rajasthan's Letter No.CM.59(1)Edu/116/99/1221 dated 28 April, 1999 to S. Shahabuddin)