Mahayuti to propose OBC non-creamy layer income limit hike, approves salary hike for Madarsa teachers

In the hopes of replicating the BJP's Haryana feat in Maharashtra, the Eknath Shinde-led Mahayuti government in the state has decided to request the Centre to raise the income limit from the current Rs 8 lakh to Rs 15 lakh per annum for non-creamy layer of Other Backward Classes (OBCs). This would allow more individuals to avail reservation benefits under the OBC category. 

To avail reservation benefits in this category, a non-creamy layer certificate, stating that a person's family has an annual income below the prescribed income limit. The decision has been almost on the lines of Haryana.

Ahead of assembly elections in the northern state, the Nayab Singh Saini government hiked the creamy layer income ceiling from Rs 6 lakh to Rs 8 lakh. In Haryana, the party defied all exit polls and beat anti-incumbency by winning 48 seats, two more than the majority mark in the 90-member assembly.

The Cabinet also issued an ordinance to grant the statutory status to the Maharashtra State Commission for Scheduled Caste and 27 positions have been approved for the panel. The ordinance will be tabled in the next session of the assembly for approval, as per a statement by the Chief Minister's Office.

Besides this, the Shinde government also approved a salary hike for Madarsa teachers and hiked capital investment for minority welfare boards. The Maharashtra cabinet hiked monthly salary of primary school Madarsa teachers from Rs 6,000 to Rs 16,000. The monthly pay of secondary school teachers was raised from Rs 8,000 to Rs 18,000.

Madarsas have been directed to incorporate modern education along with traditional and religious teachings under the Dr Zakir Hussain Madarsa Modernisation Scheme. This entails teaching subjects like English, Marathi, Hindi, Mathematics, Science, Sociology and Urdu.

The Shinde government has also raised the capital investment for the Maulana Azad Minority Financial Development Corporation from Rs 600 crore to Rs 1,000 crore. The proposal tabled by the state minority department aims to provide loans to minority communities for various programmes. 

Assembly elections in Maharashtra are due in November this year.