With a push from the newly joined Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Maharashtra cabinet on Wednesday cleared the proposal to increase government guarantees to Maulana Azad Minorities Financial Development Corporation from Rs 30 crore to Rs 500 crore, to avail loans from National Minorities Development and Finance Corporation (NMDFC). The corporation has a Rs Rs 30 lakh limit for loan to applicants. As per an official from the Minorities Development Department, the corporation has received 2,454 applications seeking loans, but due to lack of funds, only Rs 3.20 lakh could be distributed to each applicant, which is not sufficient for their needs. "The increase in government guarantee would allow the corporation to seek more loans from NMFDC and distribute it to applicants," said the official. The state had given a loan guarantee of Rs 30 crore to the corporation in 2006, based on which NMDFC has given loans amounting to Rs 110.34 crore till now. Leaders of the Ajit Pawar group have been repeatedly claiming that despite joining hands with BJP and Sena, it has not deviated from the original ideology of secular and it will continue to walk on its original path. Leaders of Ajit Pawar group said they have been repeatedly claiming that despite joining hands with Bharatiya Janata party and Shiv Sena, it has not deviated from the original ideology of secularism which it promises will continue to walk on its original path. The decision has been taken a month after Dy CM and Finance minister Ajit Pawar held a meeting of Minorities Development Department promising the same to the delegation of Muslim organisations. At the meeting of the State Minorities Department, Ajit had raised the issue of Muslim quota as well and said he would hold talks with CM Eknath Shinde and fellow Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis on the matter. Ajit added that his alliance with the BJP notwithstanding, he would not compromise on “NCP’s original ideology to work for the betterment of Scheduled Castes, Dalits, Muslims and other minorities”.
