HYDERABAD: Telangana government has spent Rs 350 crore in helping poor girls and meritorious students from the minority communities in the state in the last three years.About Rs 285.45 crore was spent towards Shaadi Mubarak scheme alone in the last three years.As many as 55,972 girls from economically weaker sections hailing from minority communities got married through the Shaadi Mubarak grants."The CM has the blessings of parents of poor girls from minorities, SC, ST and BC communities as both Shaadi Mubarak and Kalyana Lakshmi schemes have come as a major relief to the parents, who were unable to save money for their daughters' marriages."Now, even the Central government is coming out with a scheme on the lines of Shaadi Mubarak," said Yousuf Jameel, father of a beneficiary of Shaadi Mubarak.The chief minister's overseas scholarship scheme for minorities is yet another sop that has come as a much-wanted financial support with government extending Rs 20 lakh plus one-way air fare to pursue higher education abroad."A total of 588 students have gone to the US, Canada, UK, Australia or Singapore to pursue higher studies. The government has spent Rs 47.31 crore so far on these students' education abroad. Such a scheme is not there anywhere in the country. The one offered by government of India requires students to pay back principle amount to the bank later," said minorities welfare department secretary Syed Omer Jaleel.State government has also issued orders nominating BC welfare department as the nodal department for monitoring " Kalyana Lakshmi Pathakam and Shaadi Mubarak" schemes instead of multiple departments such as SC, ST and minorities welfare department dealing with it separately.

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