A Muslim organisation has demanded the Maharashtra government to provide reserved plots to Muslim entrepreneurs at Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) projects. The organisation has also demanded the government to set up an industrial chamber of commerce for the Muslim community.
The Muslim Welfare Association has put forward a demand for a reservation of 10% of land for Muslim entrepreneurs at MIDC premises across the state, on the lines of the reservation provided to the Dalit community. On May 20, the NGO’s Aurangabad city president, Ahmed Jalees, wrote to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis as well as Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, expressing the demand.
The NGO claimed that the reservation for Muslim entrepreneurs at MIDCs is necessary for the community’s economic upliftment and connecting them to the mainstream of employment. It has also demanded the establishment of a Muslim Industrial Chambers of Commerce of India (MICCI) on the lines of the Dalit Industrial Chambers of Commerce of India (DICCI).
In its representation, the Muslim Welfare Committee has claimed that the Muslim community is falling behind in everyday life and also cited the Sachar Committee report that the Muslim community’s condition, in many respects, was worse than that of the Dalit community.
“The Muslim community is falling behind day by day socially, educationally, and economically. It is essential for the government to empower the Muslim community socially, educationally, and economically to improve their condition,” read the letter. The NGO has threatened to hold protests if their reservation demands are not met.
