Maratha quota: Maharashtra cabinet recommends survey by Backward Commission for reservation

Maharashtra minister Chandrakant Patil/ File Pic

The Maharashtra cabinet issued a recommendation to the state Backward Commission on Tuesday urging it to conduct a comprehensive survey and gather essential data to ensure that the government's curative petition filed in the Supreme Court is free of errors, stated a report in PTI. This measure is aimed at securing reservation benefits for the Maratha community in the state, according to a statement by Chandrakant Patil, who heads the state government's sub-committee on Maratha quota, the report added.

Patil was further quoted saying, "The state cabinet made a recommendation to the state Backward Commission to undertake necessary surveys and data collection to make the government's curative petition in the Supreme Court error-free. With this, the state can contest vigorously in favour of awarding reservation benefits to the Maratha community in the state."

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The cabinet also advised the commission to utilize all necessary state resources and enlist the support of private institutions, including the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), for this endeavour.

He explained, "During the tenure of former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, the government succeeded in passing the SEBC Act that awarded reservation to the Maratha community in the state. It was in force for nearly one year even after being challenged in the Supreme Court. However, it was later struck down by the court, stating there were errors in it."

Reportedly, Patil noted that the Supreme Court had previously rejected a revision petition on the matter. However, he added, "But the Supreme Court has now accepted the Maharashtra government's curative petition, and it is inclined to conduct its hearing shortly. It is the last chance for us to retain the quota for the Maratha community."

The minister further revealed that the state government has formed an advisory committee composed of three retired judges, with the expectation of receiving advice to refine the petition and eliminate any errors, the report said.

In November 2018, the Maharashtra legislature passed a bill proposing a 16 per cent reservation in education and government jobs for the Maratha community. However, in May 2021, the Supreme Court invalidated the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) Act, arguing that it exceeded the 50 per cent reservation cap.

With PTI inputs