ISLAMABAD: Ministry of Religious Affairs and Inter-faith Harmony has distributed a sum of Rs 46.05 million as financial assistance among over 8,690 deserving minority persons in last two and half years.
According to official sources, Rs 19.78 million had been paid to 2,786 minority persons during financial year 2013,14, Rs 17.89 million to 4,158 persons and over Rs 8.38 million has so far distributed among 1,746 deserving minorities during financial year 2015-16.The ministry has also enhanced the rates of minority welfare fund to help improving minority’ destiny.
The financial assistance amount of deserving minorities has been enhanced 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 allocated share. The deserving, orphan minority girls are being provided marriage grant of Rs 50,000 to help meet expenses.
Meanwhile, the ministry has disbursed scholarships worth Rs 77.49 million among 4,893 deserving minority students of in last 2.5 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 year 2015=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 authorised to forward the applications after checking veracity of documents of the guardian/parent of the student.
