Maharashtra government triples salaries of madrasa teachers, announces welfare measures for minority
Mumbai: In a move aimed at benefiting the Muslim minority and backward communities ahead of the upcoming assembly elections, the Maharashtra BJP-led Mahayuti government announced several key initiatives in a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Thursday.
One of the significant decisions was the increase in salaries of madrasa teachers under the Zakir Hussain Madrasa Modernization Scheme. Primary madrasa teachers with D.Ed degrees will now receive Rs 16,000 per month, up from Rs 6,000, while secondary teachers with B.Ed degrees will see their pay rise from Rs 8,000 to Rs 18,000. The scheme encourages madrasas to integrate modern subjects like science, mathematics, sociology, English, Marathi, Hindi, and Urdu alongside religious studies.
Additionally, the government approved a proposal to raise the working capital of the Maulana Azad Financial Corporation from Rs 600 crore to Rs 1,000 crore. This increased capital will be used to provide financial assistance to the minority community for various purposes.
In another major decision, the cabinet also approved the formation of welfare cooperative boards for several communities, including Shimpi, Gavali, Lad Shakiya-Wani, Lohar, and Nam Panth. Each board will receive Rs 50 crore in investment capital for social and community activities.
The government also passed a resolution to request the Union government to raise the income limit for the ‘non-creamy layer’ category from Rs 8 lakh to Rs 15 lakh per year, allowing more individuals to benefit from reservation policies in the Other Backward Class (OBC) category.
In a significant move for the Scheduled Caste community, the Maharashtra cabinet approved a draft ordinance granting constitutional status to the Maharashtra State Scheduled Caste Commission. The ordinance, which is set to be tabled in the next legislative session, includes the creation of 27 new posts for the commission.
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Journalist Mahesh Langa moves Gujarat High Court against 10-day police remand in alleged GST fraud c
Ahmedabad: Mahesh Langa, Senior Assistant Editor at The Hindu, has approached the Gujarat High Court challenging the 10-day police remand granted by a magisterial court in an alleged Goods and Services Tax (GST) fraud case.
Langa was taken into custody on October 7, following a complaint by the Directorate General of Goods and Services Tax Intelligence (DGGI), which accused him of being involved in a scheme of fraudulent firms defrauding the government by availing bogus Input Tax Credit.
A single judge bench of Justice Sandeep N Bhatt heard the matter on October 11 and asked the state's counsel to obtain instructions, listing the matter for further hearing on October 14. During the hearing, Langa’s counsel, senior advocate Jal Unwala, argued that the magistrate had granted the remand without assessing the need for it, despite Langa not being named in the FIR.
The plea argues that the magistrate’s order was a "verbatim reproduction" of the investigating officer’s remand application, lacking independent application of mind. Langa's counsel contended that he had no connection with the fraudulent firms, and the Investigating Officer had not provided any evidence linking him to the transactions.
Langa remains in police custody until October 18.
