Mumbai/IBNS Eyening a repeat of the Bharatiya Janata Party's success in Haryana, the ruling BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP coalition in Maharashtra has reached out to two key groups - the Scheduled Castes (SC) and Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in an attempt to appease them ahead of the Assembly polls to be held later this year.

The Maharashtra cabinet Thursday took several key decisions, including the approval of an ordinance to give constitutional status to the state Scheduled Caste Commission.

It had also given a nod to a proposal urging the Centre to hike the income criterion for inclusion in the creamy layer among OBCs from Rs. 8 lakh a year to Rs. 15 lakh.

A statement from the office of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said the cabinet approved a draft ordinance to accord constitutional status to the Maharashtra State Scheduled Caste Commission.

The ordinance, according to the statement, would be tabled in the next session of the state legislature, and added that 27 posts had been approved for the panel.

A proposal to request the Union government to increase the income limit for inclusion in the 'creamy layer' category to Rs. 15 lakh per year from the current Rs. 8 lakh was also passed.

A non-creamy layer certificate, stating that the family income of a person is below the prescribed limit, is needed to get reservation benefits in the OBC category.