MUMBAI: Ahead of the upcoming Maharashtra state elections, the BJP-led Mahayuti government has approved several key decisions in a cabinet meeting on Thursday. These include a proposal to increase the income limit for the ‘non-creamy layer’ from Rs 8 lakh to Rs 15 lakh per year for Other Backward Classes (OBC), a move aimed at bolstering support within the OBC vote bank.A non-creamy layer certificate, which indicates that a family’s income falls below the prescribed limit, is required to avail of reservation benefits in the Other Backward Class (OBC) category.Additionally, the cabinet approved a salary hike for Madarsa teachers and increased capital investment for minority welfare boards. Under the leadership of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, the state cabinet raised the monthly salary of primary school Madarsa teachers (D.Ed) from Rs 6,000 to Rs16,000, while secondary school teachers (B.Ed) saw their pay increase from Rs 8,000 to Rs 18,000. The state government has directed Madarsas to incorporate modern education alongside traditional and religious teachings under the Dr Zakir Hussain Madarsa Modernisation Scheme. This includes teaching subjects such as mathematics, science, English, Marathi, Hindi, sociology, and Urdu.The cabinet also boosted the capital investment for the Maulana Azad Minority Financial Development Corporation, increasing its fund from Rs 600 crore to Rs 1,000 crore. This proposal, tabled by the state minority department, aims to provide loans to minority communities for various purposes.The cabinet meeting also approved a draft ordinance to grant constitutional status to the Maharashtra State Scheduled Caste Commission, as reported by news agency PTI, citing a statement from Shinde’s office. According to the statement, the ordinance will be presented in the upcoming session of the state legislature, and 27 positions for the panel have been approved.Additionally, the state government passed a proposal to establish welfare co-operative boards for several communities. The investment capital for tribal welfare boards, known as Shabari Cooperatives, has also been increased.Co-operative boards will be set up for the Shimpi, Gavali, Lad Shakiya-Wani, Lohar, and Nam Panth communities, with each board allocated Rs 50 crore as investment capital to support various social and community activities.Similar to Shinde govt’s decision, months before the Haryana assembly elections, the Nayab Singh Saini government had also announced an increase in the annual income limit for identifying individuals in the ‘creamy layer’ among backward classes (BCs) , raising it from Rs 6 lakh to Rs 8 lakh. This move appeared to benefit the BJP in the long run, as it successfully defied anti-incumbency and secured a third consecutive term in Haryana.(With inputs from PTI)
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