Telangana govt asks imams to promote scheme

The State government has decided to rope in imams of mosques in Telangana for promoting English Medium Residential Schools for Minorities, planned to be started in the coming academic year. It also has proposal to announce financial incentive for imams who will spread awareness about the scheme during the Friday sermon.

The flagship scheme of the TRS government for minorities which is likely to be launched by Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao this week has picked up pace with most of the schools finalising their locations. Besides availing the services of officials from Minority Welfare Department, the Telangana State Wakf Board and Telangana State Minority Finance Corporation the government has also invited social, religious and students organisations to support



the government in this endeavour. “We want the people to own this scheme, hence we are involving social and religious groups in this endeavour,” said B Shafiullah, Secretary, Telangana Minorities Residential Educational Institutions Society (TMREIS).

The State government has allocated Rs 350 crore for 70 residential schools for minorities. These funds will be utilised for imparting education to 240 students (80 per class) in each school studying in 5th, 6th and 7th standards and meeting salary expenses of the teachers and administrative staff. The officials claim that the schools which would be operated from rented buildings for academic year 2016-17 would get a space of five acres each in the coming years, if the scheme proves to be successful.