Keeping an election pledge to implement the recommendations of the Sachar Committee, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday held consultations with Justice (retd) Rajinder Sachar for making special provisions for minorities.
“Our government will endeavour to improve the condition of Muslims and work for their welfare. You know what their condition is in the state. I held a discussion with Justice Sachar and we will follow whatever he has suggested,” Banerjee told reporters after the meeting.
“He has given us some opinions which we will implement. He is happy over the steps we have taken so far,” Banerjee said.She said that Justice Sachar was told about the initiatives taken by her government for preparing a data bank and for e-governance and stress was given on improving the lot of the minorities including in the fields of education and culture.
“He has asked us to keep the statistics of the progress of the work. We will constantly monitor it,” she said, adding Justice Sachar had called for inclusive development taking all communities together.
“Before coming to power we had committed that we will seek his opinion for the development of minorities,” she said.
A state government official had gone to Delhi recently to invite the retired judge to help the new government formulate its action programmes on the minority front.
The Sachar Committee report on the social, economic and educational status of minorities was tabled in Parliament in 2006.
Its findings on the conditions of Muslims in West Bengal were a major political plank for Banerjee to rally the support of Muslims.