Balkhees Banu, Chairperson of the Karnataka State Minorities Commission, has said that the socio-economic survey of minorities in the State will commence by February-end.
The survey, conducted once in 10 years, will help the government to assess the socio-economic status of minorities and design programmes for their uplift.
The enumerators will visit every household as part of the survey and elicit answers to 58 questions, she said at an interaction programme organised by Shivamogga District Working Journalists Association here on Saturday.
Cooperation of the local masjid committees, the district-level wakf advisory boards would be sought for the survey. Teachers from government and aided educational institutions would be deputed for the survey, she said.
Ms. Banu said she had requested the State government to establish a legal cell in the commission. Many innocent youths were being booked under false charges during communal violence. The commission plans to extend legal assistance to such victims through the cell, she said. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had responded positively for the request, she said.
In 2014–15, education loan was sanctioned to 2,000 students from minority communities who joined professional courses, under the Arivu scheme. The government wants to extend the benefit to 5,000 students in 2015–16, she said. The commission would recommend to the government to fill vacant posts of teacher in Government Urdu Schools at the earliest. The commission would organise programmes to promote communal harmony across the State and first one would be held in Dakshina Kannada district.
President of the Shivamogga Working Journalists Association N. Ravi Kumar and general secretary Vaidya were present.
