Reservation will be given to the Maratha community under the Socially and Economically Backward (SEBC) category, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Sunday, 18 November.
“Independent reservation will be given to Maratha community in SEBC,” the Chief Minister’s Office tweeted.
According to ANI, Bombay High Court will be hearing a petition demanding the reservation on Wednesday, 21 November. The court has also asked the state government to file a response with the Maharashtra State Backward Class Commission report.
The Maharashtra State Backward Class Commission (MSBCC) had given three recommendations to the state government on the Maratha reservation, the Chief Minister’s Office tweeted.
According to PTI, the commission had on Thursday, 15 November, submitted its 200-page report on the social and economic conditions of the Marathas, with a government source saying that the panel has "favoured" granting quota to the community.
Speaking to reporters after a cabinet meeting on the eve of the winter session of Maharashtra legislature, Fadnavis said, "The quantum of reservation will be fixed by the cabinet sub-committee assigned to chalk out technical aspects of the bill (granting quota) that will be tabled in the coming session."
Socially and educationally backward class can be extended benefits of reservation under Articles 15(4) and 16(4) of the Constitution, and in view of such extraordinary and exceptional conditions, the state government is liable to take action, news agency PTI cited the panel report as saying.
Asked whether the proposed reservation for Marathas will cross the 50 percent ceiling set by the Supreme Court, Fadnavis said that the commission has described the condition of Maratha community as "extraordinary and exceptional.”
"Even though the case of Tamil Nadu, where reservation has crossed 50 percent mark, is pending in the apex court, it has not been struck down. We are confident of extending reservation to Marathas," the CM said.
The politically dominant Maratha community constitutes over 30 percent of the state’s population.
Earlier, Fadnavis had on Thursday, 15 November, said that all statutory formalities for Maratha reservation would be completed within 15 days.
A day after, the Maratha Kranti Morcha and other allied outfits had on Friday, 16 November, launched a yatra to demand reservation in government jobs and education for the community under the OBC category.
The 'Samwad Yatra' came amid assurances given by the CM that the process of granting quota to the Maratha community would be completed by 1 December.
(With inputs from PTI and ANI)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)