NEW DELHI, Jan 29: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said waqf assets have the potential of generating considerable returns which could be used for socio-economic development of the community.
Launching the National Waqf Development Corporation Limited (NAWADCO) here, he said it will help facilitate and mobilise financial resources for starting schools, colleges and hospitals on Waqf properties in a transparent manner.
“Today we take another step forward in our efforts to promote the interests of minorities in our country,” the Prime Minister said.
“Waqf assets have the potential of generating considerable returns which could be used for socio-economic development of the community,” he said.
UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi was also present at the inauguration of NAWADCO, a new central public sector enterprise under the Minority Affairs Ministry.
The Corporation is one of the several initiatives that the Minority Affairs Ministry has taken since its inception in 2006. Government has recently enacted the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2013.
Highlighting the minority card, Singh said, “UPA Government has been unwavering in its commitment for promotion and protection of minorities.”
The Corporation is expected to play a crucial role in the development of Waqf properties for welfare of the community.
Singh also noted that the Government has implemented most of the recommendations of the Sachchar Committee. The establishment of NAWADCO is a follow up of Sachchar Committee recommendation.
India has the largest number of Waqf properties in the world. There are more than 4.9 lakh registered waqf properties in the country and the current annual income from these properties is about Rs 163 crores.
Cautioned people against forces weakening the country’s secular ethos,she said that communal harmony should not be disturbed over small, local incidents which should be dealt with sternly without any bias.
She also expressed hope that the Communal Violence Bill would soon be tabled in Parliament, saying it is aimed at protecting social amity and the nation’s secular legacy.
Apparently referring to the Muzaffarnagar riots, the Congress President said police should ensure that communal harmony is not disturbed over small, local incidents and they should be dealt with sternly without any bias.
“It is the Government’s responsibility to protect and encourage secular values and ensure that minorities get equal opportunities. It is necessary that minorities feel secure and have trust in law and order mechanism. We should be cautious of powers which weaken India’s secularism,” she said.
The Corporation fulfils yet another promise of the UPA, she noted.
The cabinet, she said, had already given its nod to the Communal Violence Bill. “I am hopeful that it would be tabled in Parliament soon,” Gandhi said.
The UPA Government was committed to the development of minorities and the amount of money spent on schemes aimed at their welfare has risen ten-fold in the last 10 years, she observed.
She, however, cautioned the Government that only good schemes are not enough and their effective execution is the key.
“I want to stress that effective execution of schemes is also very necessary. The ground reality is that sometime the benefits of these projects do not reach the targeted people. That is why it is necessary to put in a strong mechanism to deal with complaints,” she said. (PTI)
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