Mumbai, May 19 (IANS) Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday said that various welfare schemes are being effectively implemented through the coordination of the Central and State governments for the holistic development of the Other Backward Classes community.
Efforts are being made to ensure that the implementation of these schemes for Other Backward Classes is qualitative and impactful. He asserted that the development of the Other Backward Classes community forms the bedrock of the state’s overall progress.
He was speaking during his interaction with the Parliamentary Committee on Welfare of Other Backward Classes here on Tuesday.
The meeting was attended by the Minister for Other Backward Bahujan Welfare, Atul Save, the Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Welfare of Other Backward Classes, Ganesh Singh, along with other members of the committee.
CM Fadnavis stated that the state government is effectively implementing various schemes to empower education and promote economic upliftment for the progress of the Other Backward Classes community.
By establishing an independent ‘Other Backward Bahujan Welfare Department’, the state government has accelerated the implementation of various welfare schemes for Other Backward Classes, Vimukta Jati, Nomadic Tribes, Special Backward Classes, and other backward categories.
CM Fadnavis highlighted key educational initiatives, including scholarships for students’ education, financial assistance for overseas education, and a 100 per cent fee waiver for girls pursuing higher education.
He said that Ashram schools are being run through the Other Backward Classes department, providing educational opportunities to students in rural and remote areas.
The Chief Minister noted that a total of 72 hostels for boys and girls have been started across 36 districts of the state, a project consistently followed up by the Other Backward Bahujan Welfare Minister, Atul Save.
For students who do not get admission to hostels, the ‘Swayam’ scheme has been launched. Under this initiative, students receive financial assistance of up to Rs 60,000 for living and educational expenses, he said.
Furthermore, the Mahajyoti Institute provides training for various competitive examinations, including those of the Union Public Service Commission and the Maharashtra Public Service Commission.
The Chief Minister said that through this training, 29 students achieved success in the Union Public Service Commission examinations and 118 students cleared the Maharashtra Public Service Commission examinations.
According to the Chief Minister, to promote self-employment, loans of up to Rs 15 lakh are being made available to youth through the Other Backward Classes Development Corporation, with the government acting as the guarantor.
Additionally, for segments that did not benefit from the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, the ‘PM Modi Awas Yojana’ has been launched to provide financial assistance for housing.
Apart from this, separate subsidies are being provided for solar energy.
CM Fadnavis stated that continuous efforts are being made to enhance the quality and impact of the schemes implemented for the welfare of Other Backward Classes, and necessary improvements will be made based on the suggestions received from the committee.
–IANS
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