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Maharashtra

Maharashtra Government Announces Big OBC, SC Outreach

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The Shinde government, hoping to replicate the success in Haryana, has reached out to two key segments – the Scheduled Castes (SC) and the Other Backward Classes (OBCs).

The BIP strategy of consolidating the Haryana caste vote by polarising various communities and leveraging its influence with the OBC voters has paid it rich dividends.

With this avowed adjective, the Mahayuti government too appears to be focusing on various small groups and special decisions are being taken tailor-made for these segments.

On Thursday, the Maharashtra cabinet took several key decisions, including approving an ordinance giving constitutional status to the state Scheduled Caste Commission and giving its nod to a proposal urging the Centre to hike the income criterion for inclusion in the creamy layer among OBCs from Rs 8 lakh a year to Rs 15 lakh.

A non-creamy layer certificate, stating that the family income of a person is below the preseribed limit, is needed to get reservation benefits in the OBC category. A statement from the office of Maharashira Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said the cabinet has approved a draft ordinance to accord constitutional status to the Maharashtra State Scheduled Caste Commission.

The ordinance, the statement said, would be tabled in the next session of the state legislature and added that 27 posts had been approved for the panel. The state Cabinet has also decided to allocate several allocate economic development corporations to different communities.

These include the Sola Kulswamini Economic Development Corporation for the Vani community, the Brahmlin Acharya Divyanand Puriji Maharaj Economic Development Corporation for the Lohar community, Sant Namdev Maharaj Economic Development Corporation for the Shimpi community, and Shri Krishna Economic Development Corporation for the Gawli community.

Additionally, corporations for the Lohar and Nathpanthi communities will also be established. An outlay of Rs 50 crore will be allocated for this initiative.

These decisions are seen as a part of the Mahayuti’s social engineering efforts to please smaller groups in the Maharashtra elections. Ahead of the elections in Haryana, where the BJP was perceived to be on the back foot after ruling the state for two consecutive terms, the state government had hiked the creamy layer ceiling from RS 6 lakh to 8 lakh.

The decision is seen as having contributed to the party managing to defy exit poll predictions and beat anti-incumbency to win 48 seats, two more than the majority mark in the 90- member Assembly.

Maharashtra

Thief who came from Mumbai and committed several thefts arrested

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Mumbai: Police have claimed to have arrested a thief who committed theft in the limits of Milind police station, against whom several cases of theft and burglary are registered in Mumbai. Mumbai Zone 7 DCP Vijay Kant Sagare, while addressing a press conference here, said that the accused came to Mumbai by flight with the intention of stealing and broke into several 5 houses.

Theft cases are registered against him in Nehru Nagar, Milind, Alwaye, Navi Mumbai. One and a half lakh silver ornaments weighing two kg, totaling Rs 15 lakh have been seized. Cases of stalking are also registered against the criminal Rajesh in Dombivali, Vishnu Nagar, Vishai, Vitthalwadi, Manpara, Pan police stations.

The accused told that he came to Mumbai from Varanasi by plane on March 13, 2025 and robbed five houses in 15 days.

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Maharashtra

Struggle Against Land Mafia in Waqf Properties: New Amended Bill Adds to the Challenges

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New Delhi : In the ongoing battle to protect Waqf properties and ensure their benefits reach the deserving, land mafias, encroachers, and illegal groups were already a major hurdle. Now, the government’s newly amended bill has emerged as another significant challenge. Advocate Dr. Syed Ejaz Abbas Naqvi has strongly criticized this move and demanded immediate reforms. He stated that the primary objective of Waqf was to benefit the needy, but unfortunately, this objective has completely failed. On the other hand, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), the largest Sikh religious organization, has been actively involved in the welfare of its community for decades. As a result, the Sikh community has nearly eradicated beggars and human rickshaw pullers.

Illegal Encroachments and Misuse of Waqf Lands Exposed :
According to Dr. Naqvi, Waqf properties have suffered the most due to unlawful encroachments by vested interest groups. The most unfortunate fact is that many Waqf lands were originally donated for the shrines (Dargahs) of Syed families, but they have been grossly misused. He revealed that a well-known individual shamelessly sold an acre of prime Waqf land on Mumbai’s Altamount Road for just 1.6 million rupees, a blatant violation of Waqf principles and laws.

Demand for a Stricter Amendment in Section 52 :
Dr. Naqvi has called on the government to take strict action against those who illegally sell Waqf properties. He has urged for an immediate amendment to Section 52 of the Waqf Act to introduce

capital punishment or life imprisonment* for unauthorized Waqf land sellers. This issue is a major setback for those fighting to safeguard Waqf properties, who are already battling corrupt elements and illegal land grabbers. It remains to be seen whether the government takes these concerns seriously and enacts effective legislation to protect Waqf lands.

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Maharashtra

Mumbai Cleanup Marshal and Swachh Mumbai campaign ended, fine collection from citizens also stopped, BMC helpline number released

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Mumbai: Mumbai BMC has abolished the clean-up marshal policy, after which now the clean-up marshal has disappeared from the streets of the city. The Municipal Corporation has completely banned the clean-up marshal and the Swachh Mumbai Mission has been stopped. This means that now no clean-up marshal will be able to force citizens to pay fines or take any other punitive action. After complaints against clean-up marshals, Mumbai BMC has decided to stop and suspend the service of clean-up marshals from today.

The Solid Waste Management Department of Mumbai Municipal Corporation, under the Department of Garbage and Sanitation, oversees public cleanliness in Mumbai and the ‘Swachh Mumbai Mission’ has been closed from April 4, 2025. However, the Municipal Corporation administration has appealed to the citizens that if any fine has been imposed on them despite this, then they can complain about it. Complaints regarding cleanup marshals can be made to the divisional control room of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation at 022-23855128 and 022-23877691 (extension number 549/500).

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