The newly formed cabinet subcommittee for the Other Backward Classes (OBC) will work for the welfare of the community, similar to the panel created for Maratha reservation. On Wednesday, the state cabinet constituted a nine-member panel to expedite welfare measures for the OBC community.

A day later, while speaking to the media, Revenue Minister and committee chairman Chandrashekar Bawankule explained that the government had set up the panel to ensure social, educational, and other benefits reach every person in the community. “Like the committee for the Maratha community, the OBC subcommittee too will work for the welfare of community members,” Bawankule added.

Bawankule, a prominent OBC leader from the BJP, had earlier served as president of the Maharashtra unit, during which the party achieved the milestone of enrolling 1.5 crore members in the state. On June 30, BJP leader Ravindra Chavan was appointed state party president, while Bawankule, who was inducted into the state cabinet in 2024, now heads the key Revenue Ministry in the Mahayuti government, which comprises the BJP, the Ajit Pawar-led NCP, and Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena.