OBC quota: MSCBC submits interim report to CM Thackeray two days before SC hearing

Sources in the government said that it will submit the interim report before SC for Tuesday’s hearing.

“The MSCBC’s interim report is in favour of the OBC quota in the local bodies. It also said that in any case, the OBC population is more than 27 per cent in the state referring to some reports which pegged the OBC population at 40 per cent or 48 per cent. With this interim report, the triple test will be fulfilled and OBC reservation is likely to be restored for the coming elections of local bodies,” said a cabinet minister.

Another cabinet minister said that with the panel’s interim report, the government is certainly hopeful that the OBCs in the state will get justice on Tuesday.

The MSCBC held meetings on Friday and Saturday to finalise and approve the interim report. Sources said that the panel has held the correctness and validity of the data reports given by the state.

“The panel said that the constitutional amendment to give the reservation to the backward classes in the local bodies was made with a view to give them an opportunity in the development process at the local level. Thus, the percentage of reservations is not important but their participation at the local level is important. Hence, suspending the reservation to these classes and keeping these classes from mainstream would be in violation of the constitutional provisions,” said a source privy to the developments.

Last week, the government handed over the data to the MSCBC and requested it to give an interim report at the earliest. In January, the SC had asked the government to submit data on OBCs to the MSCBC to examine its correctness and make recommendations on their representation in elections for the local bodies.