Mumbai: The Maharashtra government has approved Rs 15.4 crore in the first phase of the Maharashtra Jain Financial Development Corporation, which was established in 2024 for the religious, educational and economic development of the Jain community.
The funds were approved through supplementary demands in the legislative assembly. Implementation of various schemes will be accelerated, said Lalit Gandhi, the national president of the Akhil Bharatiya Jain Minority Federation and the chairman of the Maharashtra Jain Financial Development Corporation.
Gandhi had demanded from the Maharashtra government that an independent corporation be established for the Jain community for the purposes of development of religious places, social activities, literacy, industry and trade, economic and social development of the low-income group of the Jain community, higher education of students, and provision of capital to make youth and women self-reliant so that they can start trade and industry.
Accepting this demand of the Jain federation, the Maharashtra government established a separate corporation for the Jain community on October 4, 2024. Maharashtra became the first state in the country to create such an organisation. After the establishment of the corporation, it took more than a year to complete the registration and other technical processes. After the completion of the technical processes, the legislature approved the first installment of share capital of Rs five crore through supplementary demands in the winter session of the legislature, Rs 10 crore for ex-gratia grants for various schemes, and Rs 40 lakh for initial expenditure schemes, for a total fund of Rs 15.4 crore, Gandhi said.
Stating that this fund approval has paved the way for the actual implementation of the corporation's plans, Gandhi added that schemes will be announced soon. Gandhi further said that with the approval of a fund of Rs 10 crore for ex-gratia grant, it will be possible to provide loans.
Last week, Gandhi had met minority affairs minister, Manikrao Kokate, minister of state, Madhuritai Misal, and various officials in Nagpur to follow up on the implementation of the corporation's schemes. Gandhi thanked Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Ajit Pawar and the concerned officials for the success of this follow-up and approval of the first phase of the fund.
Lalit Gandhi assured that the district offices of the corporation are currently operational in 24 districts in the state and that all 36 district offices will be operational by the end of March 2026 and the corporation's schemes will be effectively implemented throughout Maharashtra.
