Now, state woos OBCs with Rs 736-crore sops

Devendra Fadnavis govt also revives department specially carved out of social justice department, that was defunct for three years

You know it's election year when the government sets out to woo all castes and communities. The state government on Tuesday decided to appease the other backward classes (OBCs), special backward classes and denotified and nomadic tribes with sops worth Rs 736 crore.

And, while making its intentions clear, the Devendra Fadnavis government re-launched a department specially carved out of the social justice department three years ago. The departments that cabinet minister Ram Shinde heads, thus, got a comprehensive budget years after its inception.

Shinde denied that the decision was taken in view of the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls. "I had been demanding approval for the schemes for long, and I got the green light today," he said.

But one of Shinde's cabinet colleagues said the decision was a balancing act as far as the OBCs, the biggest vote bank, was concerned. "The state government has given the Maratha community a 16 per cent quota and the Centre has given upper castes, nation-wide, a 10 per cent quota recently. Today's decision is timely because it will minimise unrest in the communities, particularly OBCs, that expected some sops," said a senior BJP minister.

According to cabinet approvals, the denotified and nomadic tribes, SBC and OBCs will have various schemes implemented through the state-run corporations that work for specific communities in the next three years.

The youth entrepreneurs will be given interest-free loans up to Rs 50 lakh. "One of the schemes is for reviving traditional trades of 'bara balutedar' [caste-specific trade smiths] in rural areas. It will have an allocation of Rs 100 crore," said Shinde. OBC students will also have hostels constructed in 36 districts. Similarly, a scholarship scheme has also been introduced.

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