The Maharashtra Assembly unanimously passed the Maratha reservation bill providing a 10 per cent quota for Marathas in education and government jobs. The bill extends the quota for Marathas above the 50 per cent reservation cap.
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde tabled the bill in the Assembly, which was similar to the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes Act, 2018, introduced by then Devendra Fadnavis government.
A special session of the Assembly was convened on Tuesday to pass the reservation bill. The government in the morning approved the draft bill providing separate reservation for the Maratha community in education and government jobs. Reportedly, this is the third time in 10 years a bill has been passed to provide reservation to Marathas.
The Maharashtra State Backward Class Commission on Friday submitted a report on its survey on the social, economic, and educational backwardness of the Maratha community. The massive exercise covered nearly 2.5 crore families. The Maharashtra State Socially and Educationally Backward Bill 2024 also proposed that after the reservation comes into effect, its review could be taken after 10 years.
Tabling the bill, Shinde said, “We don't think on the basis of caste or religion. If such a situation comes with any other community, my stand as CM will be similar to what is my stand for the Maratha community,” ANI reported. He added, “We all are of similar views here on the Maratha reservation so I will not make may political statement here. With the cooperation of you all, we could do it. I kept my promise which I made to the Maratha community. I thank all my colleagues including my both DCMs and other ministers.”
Shinde said that the government worked on a war footing for providing this reservation and though the reservation was provided during Devendra Fadnavis's regime, it was struck down by Supreme Court. The Shinde government had to convene the special session as Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil, who is on a hunger strike at Antarwali Saarati village in Jalna district, recently took out a march to Mumbai urging the government to include Marathas in the OBC category.
According to reports, Maharashtra already provides 10 per cent quota for the Economically Weaker Section and 85 per cent of beneficiaries of EWS are from the Maratha community.
-with PTI inputs.