Budget 2017: Owaisi calls it ‘very disappointing’ for minorities

The union budget was “very disappointing” for minorities, Hyderabad MP and AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi said on Wednesday.

The union budget was “very disappointing” for minorities, Hyderabad MP and AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi said on Wednesday.

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi said the budget looks hardly inspiring, with “nothing worthwhile for any section the society and for every sector of the economy”. (Sonu Mehta/HT File)

The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen leader said the budget looks hardly inspiring, with “nothing worthwhile for any section the society and for every sector of the economy”.

The Hyderabad MP pointed out that though minorities account for 20% of the country’s population (24.17 crore out of 121.08 crore), they were allocated only Rs 4,515 crores in the budget which envisages total expenditure of Rs 21,46,735 crores. The outlay for minorities comes to just 0.21% though they account for 20% of the population, he said.

Owaisi said that per capita outlay for minorities comes to only Rs 187 per capita, and there is an increase of only Rs 368 crore in the allocation for minorities over the previous year.

He said though the AIMIM had demanded scrapping the Haj subsidy on chartered flights and instead allocating this money for the education of Muslim girls, this was not done.