NEW DELHI: Concerned over “meagre loans given to a small number” of minorities in the national capital, Delhi’s minorities body has summoned officials of the government lending agency, DSFDC, to explain reasons behind it.
Delhi Minorities Commission chairperson Zafarul Islam Khan said in response to the panel’s notice, the Delhi SC/ST/OBC/Minorities and Handicapped Financial and Development Corporation (DSFDC) has informed that in 2017-18 fiscal year, 18 loan applications were received, out of which 16 were approved, while one was rejected and one application is still under consideration.
“The beneficiaries included 14 Muslims and two Sikhs, who were disbursed loans totalling Rs 15.5 lakh,” Mr Khan said, citing the corporation’s reply.
“It is clear that loans to such a meagre number mean nothing, looking at the population of the minorities in Delhi. This raises questions about the need and justification for such a corporation in National Capital Territory of Delhi,” Mr Khan said.
As per the last Census, minorities form 20 per cent of Delhi’s population. Muslims alone were 13 per cent of the total population.
