Welfare schemes for minority communities have not achieved much, findings of a survey by the centre for equity studies (CES) say. The survey report holds that the government has underutilised funds earmarked for the schemes.

“Government departments have not been able to spend even the limited funds for minorities,” it says.

The dismal utilisation of the muti-sectoral development programmes (MSDP) funds in 2010-11 are reflected in the fact that by the end of the third quarter the government has managed to spend only 22 percent - less than a quarter. West Bengal has spent 30 percent while Bihar managed to spend just 18 percent of the MSDP allocation.

“The MSDP design, resourcing and institutional mechanism for delivery all ensure it misses the mark by a wide margin,” said the report. The study was conducted under the guidance of Harsh Mander, who is also a member of the Sonia Gandhi-led national advisory council (NAC).

Criticising the 15-points-programme for minorities, it said that the programme has very limited scope and desired goals of inclusion. The report added that the livelihoods and education programmes - both serious concerns for Muslims - are only token in nature. “Sarva Shikha Abhiyan (SSA) and Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) are not even covered under 15 point programme,” the report noted.

“The imagination of the programmes is severely limited, because it fails to identify and address the actual obstacles which bar the educational or economic attainments of Muslim people, and their fair access to public services,” Mander wrote in foreword of the report.

The report was particularly critical of the ministry of minority affairs. “It lacks the institutional and political authority, as well as the traction with other ministries and governments to ensure compliance of minority focused objectives,” the report said.  The survey examined the government's flagship programme for minority communities. The Sachar report on the condition of Muslims in the country is widely held as precursor to the launch of the programme.

Mander wrote, “The ministry has been unable to cut through the tired, and by now defeated argument that schemes specially for Muslims is potentially socially disruptive, and hence best avoided.”

The report lashed out at state governments’ minority welfare schemes which it said were in ‘poor capacity’ and lacked conviction. “There are issues of poor policy focus, weak capacities, lack of interest among officials, hovering on active resistance to ‘Muslim’ schemes; and lack of programme and scheme information in the public domain,” it held.

The study is based on field survey done in three Muslim majority districts: Darbhanga in Bihar, 24 Parganas in West Bengal and Mewat in Haryana, talking to several district and state officials and large numbers of Muslim women and men.

The study suggested a separate budgetary sub-plan for exclusive investment in development programmes for Muslims, in the way that governments have done for scheduled castes (SC) and scheduled tribes (ST).