Maharashtra to establish institute for minorities’ development

Mahayuti partners — BJP and Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena — are known to excercise aggressive Hindutva politics. The NCP, however, has maintained that it has not given up on its secular credentials and continue to work along with minorities. However, in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections, the minorities overwhelmingly stood with the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA).

Since then the ruling alliance has been making efforts to make inroads into the minority vote bank. However, its decisions are facing resistance from right wing forces close to the government.

In June 2024, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad termed the state government decision to allocate Rs 10 crore to the Waqf Board for its digitisation for the financial year 2024-25 as “politics of appeasement”. The minorities welfare department released Rs 2 crore for Waqf Board in Aurangabad and assured them that the remaining amount would be given subsequently.

Despite this, the NCP maintained that it will not give up on its original ideology. In the recently presented budget, the government guarantee limit on loans for schemes implemented by the Maulana Azad Minority Economic Development Corporation was increased from Rs 30 crore to Rs 500 crore.

The budget also announced a scholarship scheme for foreign education for students from the minority community starting from 2024-25. On March 11, the cabinet meeting decided to establish a Minority Commissioner’s Office in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and minority cells at the district level.

On Tuesday, the Maharashtra government accepted the recommendations in the 56th report of the commission on six cases, in which the Kunjada caste within Muslims has been included in the list of OBCs. Kunjada will be mentioned against Mali, Bagwan, Rain within Muslim religion in OBCs.

Now, the decision to establish the MRTI has also been taken under his initiative. Approval has been granted to create a total of 11 posts for MRTI. Additionally, the cabinet has also approved a total expenditure of Rs 6.25 crore for the salaries of the institute’s staff, office expenses, studying backwardness, and training.