Maratha quota: Maharashtra backward class panel submits survey report to CM Eknath Shinde

Mumbai: In a significant development, the Maharashtra State Backward Class Commission (MSBCC) on Friday submitted the report of its survey on the social, economic, and educational backwardness of the Maratha community.

The survey report comes just days ahead of the special session, convened by Maharashtra government, on 20 February in Mumbai to discuss the issue of Maratha reservation days before the budget session commences on 26 February.

The massive survey-exercise covered nearly 2.5 crore families across the length and breadth of the western Indian state.

However, Maratha reservation campaigner Manoj Jarange-Patil continues to be on the fourth hunger strike -- into this the seventh day, on Friday.

“There is no point stepping back… the agitation would continue, as planned, till the demands are met,” said a weak and frail Jarange-Patil at the Antarwali Sarathi village in the Ambad tehsil of Jalna district.

Justice Sunil Shukre (Retd), who is the chairman of MSBCC, submitted its report to Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde at Varsha, the latter’s official residence in Mumbai.

While deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis of BJP also was present, deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Ajit Pawar of NCP was in his constituency in Baramati.

Shinde later left for the two-day mega convention of Shiv Sena in the historic town of Kolhapur.

Speaking to presspersons, Shinda said, “We are committed to give reservation to the Maratha community. This we have assured. We are committed to give a reservation that would pass the legal test. We are committed to give a reservation to the Maratha community, however, we will ensure that the quota of OBCs and other communities are not distributed.”

The MSBCC report would be discussed in the special session.

Shinde urged Jarange-Patil to end his fast, asserting that the state government is positive about giving reservation to the community.

“When the government is fully committed to giving reservation to the Maratha community, there should be no reason to protest,” Shinde said.

The survey by MSBCC across Maharashtra, involved 3.5 to 4 lakh state government personnel, and it covered 2.5 crore families.

The government, in a parallel exercise, had also begun looking for Kunbi-Maratha and Maratha-Kunbi records and as per Jarange-Patil’s claims 57 lakh records have been found.

Kunbis form a sub-caste of the Maratha and covered under OBCs -- and thus the certificates would enable them to get reservation in jobs and education while the OBCs fear the potential loss of benefits.