8What is your priority as a minister, since you have very less time to prove yourself.
9 Yes it true, but I accept the responsibility as a challenge. I have to play 20-20 match. And I am giving my 100 per cent for this new role. Welfare of Labours and Backward Classes are my first priority.
Since I belong to the OBC community and born and brought up in rural part of the state, I am very much aware about the pressing issues of all backward classes.
What have you planned for the OBC?
OBCs are having 19 per cent reservation in education and jobs in the state. I am trying to improve educational competence of all backward students.
To achieve this, our government led by Devendra Fadnavis is soon going to open a new institute for career guidance, skill development and training of OBC, SBC,VJNT students.
This institute will be christened as ‘Mahajyoti’ after great social reformer Mahatma Jyotiba Phule. This institute, which will help students from the OBC, SBC and Vimukta Jati and Nomadic Tribes to prepare for competitive examinations, will be finalised in Tuesday’s cabinet meeting.
It will be on the lines of Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Research, Training and Human Development Institute (SARTHI) set up for Maratha students, and Babasaheb Ambedkar Research and Training Institute (BARTI) meant to help SC students.
The Opposition alleges that BJP-Shiv Sena government is against backward or Bahujan classes. They also indirectly mention that the CM is from the upper caste background with a word ‘Peshvaai’. Then how the CM is helpful for the welfare of backward classes?
When Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) were ruling they had totally forgotten OBC, SBC and VJNT communities. Their government, especially the ministers having influence in the cabinet, was not sympathetic to problems of OBCs.
When we raised the issues of OBCs while we were in the Opposition, we were advised by concerned ministers to raise this issue in the Assembly and stall the work of Assembly so that they can announce relief for backward classes.
This was the attitude of Congress-NCP leaders in the state which made even ministers helpless. It was Devendra Fadnavis who was aggressive to solve serious problems of OBCs. He used to raise their issues in the Assembly when in Opposition.
Before that OBC, SBC and VJNT Communities Welfare was part of Social Justice department. But since Social Justice department was having Scheduled Caste welfare as key responsibility, the welfare of OBC, SBC and VJNT Communities were not getting due importance.
There was a demand to establish a separate ministry for OBCs. But it was never implemented by the Congress-NCP. It is Fadnavis who first established such a separate and independent ministry.
The state government had carved out the OBC, SBC and VJNT Communities Welfare Department from Social Justice department and set up separate ministry for them. Recently, the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) category created for Maratha community was also included in the former.
As per government data, the state has 19 per cent OBCs, 11 per cent VJNTs and 2 per cent SBCs and reservation for SEBC is 12 to 13 per cent. This means my ministry alone cater to welfare of at least 60 percent population of the state.
But still doubts are raised about your government and CM Fadnavis. Both are being labelled as pro to upper castes?
This is totally false propaganda done by the Opposition parties and few organisations linked to them. I am BJP legislator for the last 15 years. Our party has always been fighting for OBCs and even our party gave new leadership to OBCs.
Our CM proved that he is actually a champion of social justice. It was he who handled Maratha reservation issue with a great vision and brilliance. Therefore we cleared almost all hurdles in implementing this reservation.
When issue of caste validity created a new problem for Maratha students, he decided to give one year to them to submit caste validity certificate and permitted their admission without validity.
He solved the problem of scholarship to OBC, VJNT students going to study abroad. Recently, we sanctioned scholarship to five students to study abroad and this has happened for the first time in Maharashtra. One student got around Rs 65 lakh as scholarship fund.
CM reserved Rs 1,000 crores for Dhangar community and has decided to implement all schemes of Scheduled Tribes. Despite having two per cent reservation in all education and jobs, Special Backward Class was not getting their reservation in Medical Education admission.
Now, this issue has been assigned to a cabinet sub-committee and soon we will clear all hurdles. Due to his guidance, we have decided to implement the Seventh Pay Commission recommendations for 12,440 teaching and non-teaching staff of Ashram schools run for VJNTs.
Therefore, I feel our CM is true follower of Mahatma Jyotiba Fule, Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj and Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar.
You also hold Labour portfolio. Your government has launched ease of doing business for traders, shop owners and businessmen, but what about welfare of labourers?
Yes, you are right. We are effectively implementing ease of doing business. Now owners don't have to visit government offices. But labourers are not getting such advantages.
Therefore, I have decided to launch a portal for labourers where they can register their complaints against government agencies, and against their own establishments.
If labourers are being denied the rightful leaves or payments, they can register their complaint on this portal. The government will speedily follow up their grievances. This will save time of labourers and ensure them justice.
The labourers’ main complaint is about low wages. How are you going to solve this issue?
Yes, I am aware and sensitive about it. There was no hike in minimum wages in the last 9 years. Therefore soon after I took charge of this department, I decided to double the minimum wages of the 1 crore labourers.
As per minimum wages act, 67 types of business and establishments like shops, dairy, paintings, refineries, factories, construction workers come under our preview. The minimum wages are revised after scientific studies of these guards.
This will directly benefit the biggest workforce in Building construction industry. This also applies to labourers working with Zilla Parishad or municipal corporation.
Opposition criticising us for low wages as compared to other states. But what did they do during their regime was not to increase their wages.
The problems of security guards are serious. They do not get salaries for months. How one can expect them to guard us in such situation?
Maharashtra government has already set up Maharashtra Security Guard Welfare Board. The board is having huge amount of deposits as a levy charged on security agencies.
Generally the client company or establishment clears monthly bill and then board gives salary to these guards. But in many cases clients took 4 to 5 months to clear the bill. Thus life of guards become miserable with no salary.
Therefore I have decided that board should pay 80 percent salary to the guards deputed to government establishments or highly reputed companies. Once the board receives full payment from client company, they can pay rest 20 percent salary. This will help thousand of security guards.
We have also decided to make mandatory the registration of all security agencies whether they are exempted or non-exempted. The uniforms of all security guards irrespective of their agencies will be same that is of Security Guard board.
What about domestic workers welfare? Do you have any plan for the weakest section?
Yes, you are true. Domestic workers or house maids are one of the weakest section of this society. They don’t have any type of job guarantee.
We have revised pension scheme for them which will be implemented soon through Domestic Workers’ Welfare Board. Also there are other schemes for the welfare of their children.
