# Rijiju: Welfare schemes for hill minorities implemented nationwide 2026-08-10T14:56:15+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Union Minister for Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju informed Rajya Sabha that welfare schemes for the six centrally notified minority communities, Buddhists, Christians, Jains, Muslims, Parsis and Sikhs, are being implemented across the country, including hill-based communities in West Bengal. The schemes include the integrated Pradhan Mantri Virasat Ka Samvardhan (PM VIKAS) for skilling, education and entrepreneurship, the Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram (PMJVK) for community infrastructure in minority concentration areas, and concessional credit through the National Minorities Development & Finance Corporation (NMDFC). Under NMDFC, persons with annual family income up to Rs 3 lakh (CL-1) and Rs 8 lakh (CL-2) are eligible. In West Bengal, the West Bengal Minorities Development & Finance Corporation implements these schemes. Rijiju's reply, in response to a question, stressed that the schemes apply to all topographies and are not confined to any particular region. ## Coverage - greaterkashmir.com Tags: hill communities, minority welfare, NMDFC, PM VIKAS, PMJVK, Rajya Sabha reply Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/rijiju-welfare-schemes-for-hill-minorities-implemented-nationwide/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/rijiju-welfare-schemes-for-hill-minorities-implemented-nationwide/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.