Terming tribal community as talented community, Minister for Consumer Affairs & Public Distribution & Tribal Affairs, Chowdhary Zulfkar Ali has said that education is best way out to empower Gujjar & Bakerwal community.Addressing a Naat & Qirat Competition programme organized by Gujjar Bakerwal Students Welfare Association in Boys Gujjar & Bakerwal Hostel Srinagar, Chowdhary Zulfkar Ali said that tribal community is most talented community but they do not get opportunities in past to groom. He said that for the first time, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed created a separate tribal ministry for the welfare of the community and the ministry has framed line of action to work in the directions of developing the tribal areas.Terming education as an important sector for development of society, Minister said that only education can empower Gujjar & Bakerwals and people of this community must come forward and educate their wards. He said that with this vision, tribal ministry has diverted 70% funds for education sector to empower Gujjar and Bakerwal people. He said that earlier there was nobody representing the community in bureaucracy but today people belonging to Gujjar & Bakerwal community are having share in all sectors.
“We are proud that among the total who qualified UPSC examination of IAS this time from J&K, 50 percent candidates belongs to Gujjar Bakerwal community”, Minister said adding that this is the fruit of education which they have get today. “Youth must follow the lines of these IAS officers” he added saying that Mufti Government is communited for equitable development of all the communities and is why Gujjar and Bakerwal community has started getting justice first time in the history after Mufti led government established tribal ministry in the government to look after the affairs of the community.
Minister also said that his ministry is going to convert 5 Gujjar Bakerwal Hostels into Model Residential Gujjar Bakerwal Schools. He said that Rs 50 lakh has been earmarked for repairs of Hostel buildings whereas Rs 50 lakh has been kept available for construction of New PG Gujjar Bakerwal Hostel at Srinagar on which the work will be initiated in next few months. He added that a building will also be constructed for Girls students at Harwan area besides a Co-Education Gujjar Bakerwal School is likely to be opened in Harwan area.
The programme was organized under the leadership of Chowdhary Mohammad Yaseen, Chairman of GBSWA wherein Chowdhary Zulfkar Ali was Chief Guest while SSP Awantipor Irhad Ahmed, Former MLC Rahman Badana, Secretary Gujjar & Bakerwal Advisory Board Chowdhary Lateef Poswal and Chowdhary Salam Din Bajad were also present.The Student leaders of the community viz Zahid Iqbal, Khaleeq Ahmed, Abrar Badana, Mohd Asif, Mohd Abdullah, Wasif Saif, Yasir Chowdhary, Imtiayaz Chowdhary, Javed Ahmed Kalas and Chowdhary Mukhtar Ahmed managed the programme.Students from various Gujjar Bakerwal Hostels and Madrasas of Kashmir division participated in the Naat and Qirat Competition who were honoured by the organizers.