Mumbai, February 16: The Maharastra State Backward Class Commission submitted its report on the social and financial conditions of the Maratha community to Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Friday. The report was submitted by the Commission's Chairman, retired justice Sunil Shukre, in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
The report will be presented in a cabinet meeting during the special assembly session called for February 20. On receiving the survey report, CM Shinde said, "This survey report will be presented in the cabinet meeting, and based on that, the government will take a decision. A special assembly session on the same subject has already been announced for February 20."
"Seeing the way this survey work has been completed, our government is confident that based on educational, social, and economic status, this reservation will be able to stand the test of the Constitution and the law. We will be able to implement OBC reservations or any other reservation without causing any harm to the Maratha community."
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"We are confident that we will be able to provide a permanent reservation to the Maratha (community)," CM Shinde said. CM Eknath Shinde urged quota activist Manoj Jarnage to call off his fast. "The government had already made itself completely clear in the context of the Maratha reservation. Based on the Shukre Committee report, we will take forward the Maratha reservation. The issue of reservation in the context of Kunbi registration has already been taken forward, and work on it is already going on."
"There was no need to go on fast. But unfortunately, this is happening. We would like to request that he withdraw his fast; the government is positively doing its work to meet the demands," CM Shinde said. The development comes after Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil started another hunger strike at Antarwali Saarati village in Jalna district, demanding a special session of the state legislature be convened to discuss the issues related to the Maratha reservation.
For the fourth time in less than a year, Patil began his indefinite hunger strike on February 10, demanding the inclusion of Marathas into the Other Backward Classes (OBC) to get a reservation. He has also been demanding to convert the draft notification on 'blood relatives' of Kunbi Marathas into law.
The Maratha community, under the leadership of Jarange Patil, has been seeking reservations in education and jobs under the OBC category. The guarantee of reservation under the Kumbi category, however, finds objection within the Maharashta government, with senior leader Chhagan Bhujbal opposed to it. Patil had begun his agitation in Vashi, Navi Mumbai, outlining several demands, including Kunbi certificates for all Marathas, free education from kindergarten to postgraduate level, and reservation of seats for Marathas in government job recruitments.