Maharashtra to enact legislation on non-lapsable fund for Scheduled Castes welfare

MUMBAI: The Maharashtra government is mulling over a proposal to enact a legislation to provide for non-lapsable fund meant for welfare of Scheduled Castes.

Social Justice Minister Rajkumar Badole told reporters that his department is studying a similar Act in Karnataka and would make suitable amendments accordingly here.

"The current budgetary provision of the Social Justice Department is about Rs 6,000 crore. Due to non-utilisation, the funds lapse over a period and then are diverted to other departments," he said.

Badole said about 10 per cent of the funds are diverted to other departments.

The Minister, who is heading the state government committee to purchase the property in London where B R Ambedkar lived during his student days, said he met External Affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar and Indian High Commisioner in UK, Rajan Mathai to expedite the deal.

"A nodal officer has been appointed in the Indian High Commission to oversee the procedure including the price of the property and assist in expediting it," he said, adding that senior counsel Harish Salve could be approached to seek advice on the matter.

"It would be for the first time that the state government would purchase a property in a foreign land," he said, adding that the premises would be used for memorial to the Father of Indian constitution.