Lokmat News Network
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:
The state government constituted committee led by retired Justice Sandeep Shinde, while scrutinising over 1.74 crore documents from Marathwada, found mention of ‘kunbi’ in 13,498 records. The committee also went through 460 pieces of evidence placed before them by the citizens. The state government today accepted the first report of inquiry submitted by the committee. Accordingly, the ordinance was issued directing the respective district administrations to start issuing ‘kunbi’ caste certificates by the competent officers.
The first report by sub-committee was submitted in the Maratha Arakshan va Suvidha Mantrimandal Samiti headed by the chief minister Eknath Shinde on October 30. After accepting the report, the government issued an order.
So far, around 600 ‘kunbi’ certificates have been issued till today. Now, after the order, the way to issue ‘kunbi’ caste certificates to 13,958 persons has been cleared, it is said.
What does the order stated
The administration has been ordered to start the process of issuing ‘kunbi’ certificates to those whose records were scrutinised by the sub-committee during the inquiry. The order also recommends to translate and digitised the old documents which are in Modi and Urdu languages and bring them into public domain, prior to issuing of the caste certificate.
The order also mentions that Caste Verification Regulation 2012 of the Social Welfare Department should be amended taking into consideration the evidence of 12 departments submitted to the sub-committee. The sub-committee has recommended in the first report to issue certificates of Maratha-Kunbi or Kunbi-Maratha.
Compilation of empirical data
Meanwhile, an advisory board comprising retired Justices Dilip Bhosale (head), Maroti Gaikwad and Sandeep Shinde has been established. The board will give legal advice to the government in connection with the cases pending related to Maratha reservation in
the Supreme Court, High Court and other courts.
The ordinance also states that the state’s Other Backward Class (OBC) Commission will be informed to compile new empirical data so as to investigate the social and educational backwardness of the Maratha community.
What government had cross-checked
The state government has cross-checked various documents from revenue departments, jail records, crime records, arrest panchanamas, FIRs, 13 types of documents from Department of Stamps, 7 documents from the Department of Land Records, Muntakhab etc.