The Maharashtra government on Thursday doubled the pension of freedom fighters who took part in the Indian independence movement, the Marathwada Mukti Sangram and the Goa liberation struggle, to Rs 20,000 per month from Rs 10,000 now.

A decision to this effect was taken at the weekly cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde here.

The cabinet also cleared a proposal to allow Socially and Educationally Backward Classes candidates (Marathas) to avail jobs quota under the category of economically weaker sections (EWS), whose constitutional validity has been upheld by the Supreme Court.

In this regard, the cabinet approved the recruitment process started after September 9, 2020, said a statement from the Chief Minister's Office (CMO).

The statement said the cooperation department's proposal to allow farmers, whose names do not figure in the voters list, to contest Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) elections was approved at the meeting.

The cabinet approved a proposal to raise Rs 35,629 crore through loans to fund road development projects in the state, it said.

This will help in expediting land acquisition for such projects.

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