Having faced agitation from communities like the Patidars, the Gujarat government while presenting it’s first budget after the 2017 state assembly elections made a “special provision” of Rs 506 crore for the Gujarat Binanamat Educational and Economical Development Corporation, that deals with the welfare of educationally and economically backward families of the state.
“Gujarat Binanamat Educational and Economical Development Corporation has been established for the purpose of comprehensive welfare of educationally and economically backward families of about 58 castes falling under unreserved classes in the state, eg. patidar, brahamins, Kshatriya, vanik, lohana, soni, khamar, maheshwari and others for which a special provision of Rs 506 crore is made,” said deputy chief minister Nitin Patel in his budget speech on Tuesday.
“A provision of Rs 1.28 crore has been made for the Binanamat Aayog,” Patel added. On September 27, 2017, the state government after meeting Patidar leaders declared to set up a Commission for the welfare of communities which did not get reservation and a judicial commission headed by a retired High Court judge to probe the allegations of police atrocities on Patidars.
The government has also made provisions for Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) in the budget. This includes free lodging and boarding facilities to 73000 students in 774 hostels and 188 Ashram Shalas, free bicycles to 1.6 lakh girls and loans for 320 students belonging to SEBC. The government has also proposed to assist 3300 couples belonging to SEBC under the Satfera Samuhlagna scheme and provide coaching to 2570 students for preparation of preliminary examination of GUJCET, NEET, PMT, NLU and NIFT.