Vijayawada, March 16 (NationPress) The Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, N. Chandrababu Naidu, announced on Monday that the coalition government is committed to enhancing the welfare of the Muslim community, both in economic and political spheres.

He emphasized that the TDP-led coalition is attentive to the feelings of Muslims and reassured them of the protection of Waqf properties.

Speaking at an Iftar dinner organized by the state government, he informed attendees that the government is implementing initiatives aimed at improving the living conditions of Muslims.

Among those present at the Iftar dinner were Minister for Minorities Welfare, N. Md Farooq, TDP Muslim leaders, religious heads, and various organizational representatives.

The Chief Minister pledged that the Rs 45 crore in pending honorarium for Imams and Muezzins would be disbursed promptly and announced plans for a new Haj House in Amaravati.

He detailed that since taking office, the coalition government has rolled out numerous welfare programs for the Muslim community.

CM Naidu participated in the prayers and extended his Ramadan greetings to the Muslim populace.

He also stated that the unfinished Haj House in Kadapa will soon be operational, and the government is organizing Iftar feasts for Muslim communities across all districts.

“The teachings of Prophet Muhammad emphasize the joy of giving to the less fortunate during Ramadan, which aligns with the Quran's core message,” he remarked.

The Chief Minister pointed out that through the 'NTR Bharosa' pension scheme, the government is providing pensions to 4.38 lakh Muslims, with an annual expenditure of Rs 3,511 crore.

“We are expanding the 'Thalliki Vandanam' scheme to 4.5 lakh Muslim students and have allocated Rs 264 crore in post-matric scholarships for 19,215 students. Under 'Deepam-2.0', we are investing Rs 158 crore in providing gas cylinders to 6.20 lakh families. We have issued Rs 180 crore in honorarium to Imams and Muezzins, and I have instructed officials to release an additional Rs 45 crore in long-overdue payments immediately,” the Chief Minister declared.

He added that qualified Imams are being appointed as government Qazis.

“We have extended marriage license validity from 3 years to 10 years and are facilitating Hajj for 347 Muslims from the Vijayawada embarkation point. Financial aid of Rs 193 crore has been granted to 33,275 beneficiaries, and we are equipping youth with skills for better employment prospects,” he explained.

Chandrababu Naidu criticized the previous government for embroiling the Waqf Board in controversy with G.O. 47, which has since been repealed and the board restructured. He mentioned that 1,500 Waqf properties have been surveyed for protection. Additionally, the Noor Basha Federation has been renamed to the Dudekula Muslim Finance Corporation, with an allocation of Rs 100 crore. He highlighted that while the previous budget allocated Rs 5,434 crore for minorities, this time it has increased to Rs 6,090 crore.

Naidu noted that the prior administration allocated only Rs 1 lakh to the Urdu Academy, whereas the coalition government has sanctioned Rs 7 crores. “The incentive under the Abdul Haq Award scheme has been raised from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 1.25 lakh, and Rs 2.85 crore has been allocated for building Urdu Ghars and Shadi Khanas,” he added.

Prominent figures at the dinner included Vijayawada MP Kesineni Shivnath, MLAs Nazir, Bonda Uma, Gadde Rammohan and various public representatives alongside Muslim minority leaders.