Patna, Feb. 14: Paswans have gained the most in the recent political imbroglio with the chief minister rushing to include them in the Mahadalit bracket in today's cabinet meeting.

With this decision, chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, who faces a trust vote in the Assembly barely six days from now, has reached out to the Paswans (Dusadh caste), and also taken a dig at his predecessor Nitish Kumar.

In 2009, Nitish tried to appease the Mahadalits by carving out 21 of 22 Scheduled Castes, leaving out the Dusadhs because of his political rivalry with Ram Vilas Paswan, who enjoys considerable clout among his caste men.

Cabinet secretariat department principal secretary B. Pradhan told reporters that the cabinet gave its nod to the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe department's proposal to extend benefits of schemes for the development of Mahadalits in the state to the Dusadhs and their sub-castes Dhari and Dharhi, also.

With a view to identifying the castes within the Scheduled Castes (SCs) who lagged behind in the development process, the state government formed the State Mahadalit Commission in August 2007 to study their educational and social status and suggest measures for uplift of the people.

The commission was also entrusted with the job of recommending action for initiating measures for their educational and social uplift with ways for their employment.

On the recommendations of the commission, the state government included 18 castes in the Scheduled Castes category under 'Mahadalits' in April 2008. The four castes left out were Dhobi, Pasi, Chamar (Ravidas) and Dusadh (Paswan). On July 28, 2009, the cabinet included Pasi and Dhobi in the list on the commission's recommendation. Then again, on November 17, 2009, the cabinet included Chamar (Ravidas) in the list, leaving only the Dusadh (Paswan) community - who are more literate and dominant among the Scheduled Castes - out of the Mahadalit fold.

Political observers said the caste was deliberately not included as Nitish wanted to settle a score with Ram Vilas Paswan after the Lok Sabha elections that year.

Manjhi, after becoming the chief minister, asked all Scheduled Castes to unite and not be divided into 22 separate castes.

At a number of public meetings in the past few months, Manjhi appealed to the Scheduled Castes that they were 'one family' and if they remained so, 'power would be theirs'.

The cabinet also decided to re-christen the Darbhanga Engineering College as Dr Jagannath Mishra Institute of Technology, Darbhanga. The move is seen as a gesture towards former chief minister Jagannath Mishra, who played a significant role in getting the Congress ticket in 1980 when Manjhi first entered the Assembly. Manjhi considers Mishra among his patrons.

The decision is also aimed at appeasing Mishra's son and Manjhi's cabinet colleague Nitish Mishra who has all along been rooting for the chief minister. The decision would also send a positive message in the Mithila region where it would be helpful to him in gaining a foothold.

Among the eight cabinet decisions, pension scheme for journalists was also approved. As per the scheme, a journalist, who serves for 20 continuous years, would get Rs 5,000 per month and Rs 2,500 per month family pension, Pradhan said.

It sanctioned a revised estimated cost of Rs 321.39 crore for construction of a flyover between Sheikhpura Mor and a point west of Jagdeo Path Mor, the principal secretary said. On February 1, 2012, the cabinet had sanctioned Rs 161.97 crore for this.

Besides, it also decided to appoint Vikas Mitras from the Scheduled Tribe families to help them get the benefits of schemes for the STs, Pradhan added.