State may revise EBC income limit soon

Social justice minister Shivajirao Moghe has assured that the income limit of economically backward class (EBC) would be increased from the present Rs 1 lakh to Rs 4.5 lakh per annum. Persons coming under EBC category get concession in fees. The decision in this regard would be taken within a month and a notification would be issued, he told the Maharashtra assembly.

Moving a motion, South-West Nagpur MLA Devendra Fadnavis had said that the income limit of Rs 1 lakh was too low as salaries had substantially increased due to sixth pay commission. People coming under EBC category had got excluded. However, in real terms, to the sharp rise in prices of essential commodities the hike in income had not benefited much.

Moghe also agreed to Fadnavis' demand to increase other backward classes (OBCs) income limit for exemption from non-creamy layer criteria. It would now be Rs 6.5 lakh per annum from the current the limit of Rs 6 lakh. OBCs not coming under non-creamy layer do not benefit of reservations in education and jobs. They are classified in open category. The income limit criteria is not applicable to Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs).

Fadnavis lamented that he had been trying to get the income limit raised through various legislative tools but the government had given only hollow assurances. This had caused economic loss to thousands of students belonging to EBC category while thousands of OBC students had been deprived of reservations.

The BJP MLA has been instrumental in getting the income limit of OBC non-creamy layer raised twice. It was first increased from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 4.5 lakh and then from Rs 4.5 lakh to Rs 6 lakh per annum.