The Maharashtra government on Thursday decided to urge the Centre to raise the income limit to qualify for the “non-creamy layer” in the state from Rs 8 lakh per annum to Rs 15 lakh per annum, PTI reported.
The announcement by the ruling Mahayuti alliance came ahead of the state elections. While the term of the Maharashtra Assembly lapses on November 26, the Election Commission is yet to announce the poll schedule.
The Mahayuti coalition comprises Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena faction, the Bharatiya Janata Party and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party group.
The creamy layer seeks to exclude the wealthier and more advanced members within a group from the benefits of affirmative action.
In Maharashtra, a non-creamy layer certificate is needed to avail of reservations in government jobs and education for the Other Backward Classes category. This document would mean that the family income of a person is below the prescribed limit.
On Thursday, the state Cabinet approved a proposal to be sent to the Union government on raising the income criterion to Rs 15 lakh per annum for inclusion in the creamy layer among the Other Backward Classes, a statement from the chief minister’s office said.
The Cabinet also approved a draft ordinance to accord constitutional status to the Maharashtra State Scheduled Caste Commission. The ordinance would be tabled in the next session of the legislature and 27 posts have been approved for the commission, the statement said.
In July, the BJP government in Haryana had also increased the non-creamy layer ceiling for the Other Backward Classes from Rs 6 lakh per annum to Rs 8 lakh per annum. The decision was taken ahead of the Assembly polls in the state.
On Tuesday, the BJP won the Haryana election by clinching 48 seats in the 90-member Assembly. This was an increase from the 40 seats the Hindutva party had won in the 2019 polls. The Congress won 37 seats.
Also read: Explainer: What is ‘creamy layer’ and why applying it to caste reservation is controversial
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