AHMEDABAD: The ruling
BJP, which was nearly shown the exit in the state assembly elections, is now trying to woo Other Backward Classes (
OBCs). The party has decided to focus more on the OBC and the schemes related to it.
The BJP government has now decided to revamp the
OBC Vikas Nigam and ensure it has adequate staff. The government, with an eye on the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, has devised special programmes for OBCs. In the last week of April, the government increased the housing subsidy under the
Pandit Deendayal Awas Yojana by Rs 50,000 to Rs 1.2 lakh.
Vasan Ahir, minister of state for welfare of socially and educationally backward classes, admitted that the government is now focussing on the welfare of OBCs — who make up 52% of the state’s population — apart from Patels and other community. “We recently found that the subsidy given under the Pandit Deendayal Awas Yojana was only 70,000 but under the Sardar Patel Awas Yojana it was Rs 1.2 lakh. A proposal was moved and the subsidy for the Pandit Deendayal Awas Yojana for OBCs was brought at a par with the
Sardar Awas Yojana.”
Ahir said that apart from this, the government had increased the uniform assistance provided to all students studying in classes I to VIII from Rs 300 for two sets of uniforms to Rs 600 for three sets. The government has also decided to provide coaching to 2,750 OBC students for the GUJCET preliminary examination, NEET, PMT, NLU and NIFT tests.
Ahir further said that apart from the nigam, there are seven boards and corporations for the welfare of various OBC communities and the government is planning to revamp each of them and ensure that they have a chairman and adequate staff.
Owing to the Patidar agitation, the BJP in the December 2017 elections suffered a major setback, managing to win only 99 seats in the 182-member state assembly. The BJP managed to return to government but won 16 less seats than in the December 2012 elections.
Representative Photo