Maharashtra govt approves 20 percent increase in grants for partially funded private schools

The announcement was made on Thursday

The Maharashtra government has decided to approve a 20 per cent increase in grants for partially funded private schools that are currently receiving step-wise funding, an official statement said.

The decision is likely to benefit a total of 5,844 schools, including 820 primary schools, 1,984 secondary schools, and 3,040 higher secondary schools/junior colleges.

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The schools have 8,936 classes and an overall staff of 49,562, which includes both teaching and non-teaching personnel, the statement said.

It said that these schools meet the necessary criteria to qualify for the additional funding, aimed at supporting their staff and enhancing educational resources.

The distribution of grants will be as follows:

Primary Schools: 820 schools, 3,513 classes, and 8,602 staff members.

Secondary Schools: 1,984 schools, 2,380 classes, and 24,028 staff members.

Higher Secondary Schools/Junior Colleges: 3,040 schools, 3,043 classes/additional branches, and 16,932 staff members.

Maharashtra govt asks Centre to raise non-creamy layer limit to Rs 15 lakh

Meanwhile, the Maharashtra cabinet on Thursday decided to request the Union government to increase the income limit to qualify for 'non-creamy layer' to Rs 15 lakh per year from the current Rs 8 lakh, reported the PTI.

The decision came ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly elections 2024 which are expected to be held next month.

A non-creamy layer certificate, which means the family income of a person is below the prescribed limit, is needed to avail of reservation benefits in the Other Backward Class (OBC) category.

A draft ordinance to accord a constitutional status to the Maharashtra State Scheduled Caste Commission was also approved in the cabinet meeting, said a statement from the office of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, as per the PTI.

The ordinance will be tabled in the next session of the legislature, it said, adding that 27 posts were approved for the commission.

In other decisions, the cabinet approved a proposal to set up welfare corporations for journalists and newspaper vendors.

Additional funds of Rs 709.27 crore were sanctioned for the Balasaheb Thackeray Turmeric Research Centre in Hingoli district.

A proposal under which non-profit organisation Sulabh International will provide toilets and rest rooms at all 57 government hospitals in the state was approved in the meeting, the release said, news agency reported.

Government land in Akse and Malwani in Borivali suburb of Mumbai will be given for the Dharavi redevelopment project and ineligible slum-dwellers will be provided housing in these areas spread over 140 acres, it said.

The cabinet also decided to provide houses to the government employees living in the Bandra government colony in Mumbai.

The Public Libraries Act will be amended give a boost to the library culture in the state, the release said.

The cabinet also approved the construction of Jalna-Nanded expressway which will be linked to the Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi corridor.

Irrigation projects were sanctioned for Saoner, Kankavli, Rajapur, Ambernath, Jihe Kathapur and Latur.

Anganwadi centers in the state will be allowed to start day-care centres, the cabinet decided.

African safari will be introduced at the Balasaheb Thackeray Gorewada international zoo in Nagpur.

The working capital of the Maulana Azad Financial Corporation will be hiked from Rs 700 crore to Rs 1,000 crore, the cabinet decided.

According to the PTI, the honorarium for Madarsa teachers with the D Ed degree will be increased from Rs 6,000 to Rs 16,000, while the salaries of teachers with BA, B Ed, BSc degrees will be hiked from Rs 8,000 to Rs 18,000.

(with PTI inputs)