New Delhi: In a significant move ahead of the upcoming assembly elections, the Maharashtra Cabinet has decided to request the central government to raise the income limit for the ‘non-creamy layer’ from the current Rs 8 lakh to Rs 15 lakh per annum. This change is important for people seeking reservation benefits under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category, as a non-creamy layer certificate is required to affirm that the applicant’s family income falls below the designated threshold.
Similarly, months ahead of the Haryana elections, chief minister Nayab Singh Saini raised the annual income limit for the creamy layer from Rs 6 lakh to Rs 8 lakh. Poll analysts believe this move was pivotal in securing the Scheduled Caste (SC) and OBC votes, contributing to the BJP’s success in the assembly elections, where the party secured 48 seats.
‘Strategic effort to regain OBC support’
In Maharashtra, the saffron party had faced challenges from OBC voters due to the inclusion of Marathas in the OBC quota, which diluted its traditional support. The proposed increase in income limits in Maharashtra aims to rectify this disenfranchisement and reassure OBC voters that their interests are being prioritised by the government. As Maharashtra gears up for assembly elections, the initiative is viewed as a strategic effort to regain OBC support. The government has expressed a commitment to engage with the Union government to expedite the implementation of this change.
In addition to these measures, according to a statement from chief minister Eknath Shinde’s office, the Cabinet also approved a draft ordinance to grant constitutional status to the Maharashtra State Scheduled Castes Commission. This ordinance will be presented in the next session of the state legislature, with provisions for 27 positions within the commission.
