Maharashtra to pay Rs 10 lakh to kin of Maratha quota stir deceased

The Shiv Sena-led Maharashtra government on Wednesday decided to implement the erstwhile BJP government's decision to pay Rs 10 lakh cash compensation to kin of those who had died during protests for Maratha quota.

The Maha Vikas Aghadi dispensation will also award employment to kin of such deceased in the state transport corporation.

Urban Development Minister and Sena leader Eknath Shinde told reporters after the weekly Cabinet meeting that CM Uddhav Thackeray had given a go-ahead for implementing the old decision. He said 42 people had died during the quota stir.

The Cabinet also decided that the Maharashtra Housing Area and Development Authority (MHADA) will take over pending redevelopment projects of old and cessed buildings in Mumbai city, said a statement issued by the office of the chief minister.

It will be mandatory for MHADA to complete the projects within three years after getting the commencement certificate, it said. The decision is expected to benefit residents of 14,500 cessed buildings.

It stated that several projects were left midway by developers who violated NOC terms and also didn't pay rent to tenants, it said. A high-powered committee headed by principal secretary (housing) will be set up to look into such cases.

On October 29, 2016, an eight-member committee of legislators was set up to recommend measures to expedite the redevelopment of cessed buildings. A bill to amend the MHADA Act will be tabled in the legislature session, the statement said.

The cabinet also approved a proposal to reimburse fees of 112 students of 'open' category pursuing dental and medical courses who were forced to migrate to private non-aided colleges from government colleges in the academic year 2019- 2020 due to Socially and Educationally Backward Class (SEBC) and Economically Weaker Section (EWS)reservations.

The cabinet also decided to increase the contingency fund limit by Rs 1,500 crore from the fixed amount of Rs 150 crore for implementation of the Mahatma Phule loan waiver scheme, the statement said, adding that an ordinance would be issued soon.

The cabinet also decided to increase the monthly stipend of resident doctors in 18 government medical colleges and three dental colleges by Rs 10,000 in view of round-the-clock duty done by them during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Resident doctors currently get the stipend of Rs 54,000 per month.

Due to this decision, the state exchequer will be burdened with additional Rs 29.67 crore, the statement said.

The doctors will be getting Rs 71,247 from this month while dental resident doctors will be paid Rs 55,258 in place of the existing 49,648, it said.