Bangalore: Karnataka Chief Minister S M Krishna on October 21 announced a slew of welfare programmes for the benefit of minorities including a legislative measure under Article 35 of the constitution to improve their socio-economic conditions.

"Karnataka government would implement a special component plan for removing economic and education disparities among minority communities in the state," he said, after inaugurating the second conference of National Commission for Minorities and Chairpersons of Minorities Commissions in states in Bangalore.

Reminding minorities the various initiatives of his government, Krishna said it was his government, which undertook the first ever socio-economic survey of minorities to assess their living standards and implemented welfare programmes on the basis of the findings.

He said the government had decided to closely monitor the implementation of schemes for minorities' welfare to ensure that they make direct impact on the lives of the people.

Krishna said there was a proposal to restructure the institutions created for minorities' welfare and grant them more financial assistance.

Asserting that his government would deal with iron hand the forces, which attempt to divide the society on communal lines, he said it had maintained communal harmony in the state in the last four years.

PTI