Prez's Maiden Adddress Focuses On 'Aam Aadmi'

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><root available-locales="en_US," default-locale="en_US"><static-content language-id="en_US"><![CDATA[Government will step up priority sector lending to minority communities' development programmes as part of the architecture of inclusive growth, President Pratibha Patil said today. In her maiden address to the joint sitting of Parliament marking the commencement of the Budget Session, she touched upon various issues pertaining to 'aam aadmi'(common man) and said the National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme would be extended to all rural districts of the country from April. She said the government has taken various steps to mitigate the plight of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and workers in the unorganised sector. Recalling that Prime Minister's new 15-point programme for development of minorities aimed at ensuring that benefits flowed equitably to them, Patil said &quot;the proportion of priority sector lending going to minority communities will be stepped up from the present nine per cent to 15 per cent.&quot; Certain proportion of development projects would be located in minority concentration areas and, wherever possible, 15 per cent of targets and outlays under various schemes would be earmarked for the minorities, she said. The President said to improve the economic and educational status of the minorities, several programmes have been launched based on the recommendations of the Sachar Committee report. She said the 11th Plan provides Rs 800 crore for merit- cum-means based scholarship for professional courses, nearly Rs 3,300 crore for post and pre-matric scholarship programmes for minority students and Rs 3,780 crore for the development of 90 minority concentration districts. (PTI)