KARACHI: The Sindh Minorities Affairs Minister on Tuesday assured the Sindh Assembly about the equal rights to the religious minorities and a timely completion of their uplift projects.
Replaying to questions, the Sindh Minorities Affairs Minister, Gayanchand Essrani said that his party's rule has prioritised empowering the minorities.
He said that the government will complete all development projects of the religious minorities on time.
About 90 percent of the fiscal budget has been spent on the construction of boundary walls around graveyards, temples and crematory grounds, he said.
He said that his department carries out uplift work on a total 268 schemes including 40 in Karachi, 25 in Badin, 12 in Ghotki, eight in Jamshoro and five in Tharparkar. The Sindh government will ensure protection to all temples, he said.
A commercial construction on the site of an existing 150 years old temple has been stopped, he told the house, saying that no builders will be permitted to demolish Hindus worship place.
Over Rs30 million of scholarships to the minorities, students will be allotted on merit this year with building a hostel at a cost of Rs12 million in Karachi. The hostel project will be expanded into other divisions, as well, he said.
A solar system for electricity production has been installed on several temples, he said. He announced that a bus service for the poor Hindu pilgrims visiting Hinglaj Mata Mandir will be started soon.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023