CHENNAI: Chief Minister MK Stalin on Tuesday announced the government’s decision to grant religious minority status to educational institutions for a lifetime. Currently, the minority status is being given to educational institutions for five years. Additionally, he announced the extension of welfare schemes like Pudhumai Penn and the CM’s breakfast scheme to encompass minority educational institutions.
The chief minister said this while chairing a meeting for the welfare of the minorities at the secretariat. During his address, he recalled the various welfare measures that have been implemented by the present government including the establishment of a welfare board for church employees, increase of subsidy for Jerusalem pilgrimage to the sisters and nuns, providing more loans through Tamil Nadu Minorities Economic Development Corporation (TAMCO) among others.
He further highlighted the welfare measures that are in the offing, including easing regulations for enrolment in the church employee welfare board, launching a dedicated web portal facilitating the application process for educational institutions seeking minority status, notification of revised guidelines for getting the subsidy for Jerusalem pilgrimage and the formulation of Standard Operating Procedures (SoP) to facilitate permissions for worship places and renovation works, along with the launch of a web portal to grant subsidies to NGOs.
Speaking on addressing the demands of government minority schools, Stalin said the demand for establishing hi-tech labs and other facilities in government minority schools will be considered favourably, and an announcement will be made in the budget about granting permission to get the benefit of Pudhumai Penn scheme to the students of government-aided minority schools.
Furthermore, a dedicated web portal will be set up to address grievances concerning appointments, permissions, transfers, and promotions in government-aided minority schools. In the meeting, state minorities commission chairman S Peter Alphonse, MLA S Inigo Irudyaraj and representatives of minority fraternities and officials participated.