Pune: The decision taken by the state cabinet today to establish the 'Minority Research and Training Institute' (MRTI) on the lines of 'TARTI', 'BARTI', 'Sarathi', 'Mahajyoti', 'Amrut' to tackle the backwardness of Maharashtra's minority communities and for their comprehensive development. It is a result of constant efforts of Deputy Chief Minister and Finance and Planning Minister Ajit Pawar, said many Muslim and minority organizations in the state.

The decision to establish the MRTI on the lines of 'TARTI', 'BARTI', 'Sarathi', 'Mahajyoti', and 'Amrut' for the minority community was under consideration. Approval was granted in the cabinet meeting held in Mumbai on Wednesday, officials said.

Deputy CM Ajit Pawar is continuously striving to accelerate the development plans for the state's Muslim and minority communities. Due to his efforts and follow-ups, the Maha Vikas Aghadi government had already decided to establish the Minority Commissioner's Office, which is currently in the final stages of implementation, officials said.

In the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, Ajit Pawar has consistently taken the responsibility of advocating strongly for the minority communities and developing development plans for them. In the recently presented budget, the government guarantee limit on loans for schemes implemented by the Maulana Azad Minority Economic Development Corporation was increased from ₹30 crores to ₹500 crores. The budget also announced a scholarship scheme for foreign education for students from the minority community starting from 2024-25. Earlier this year, on March 11, the cabinet meeting decided to establish a Minority Commissioner's Office in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and minority cells at the district level. Now, the decision to establish the MRTI has also been taken under his initiative.

Approval has been granted to create a total of 11 posts for MRTI. Additionally, the cabinet has also approved a total expenditure of ₹6.25 crores for the salaries of the institute's staff, office expenses, studying backwardness, and training, said Ajit Pawar after the cabinet meeting.