Special Assembly session to discuss Maratha quota: CM Devendra Fadnavis

As political parties pledged support for a quota for the Marathas, the Maharashtra government on Saturday said it will convene a special session of the state Legislative Assembly and the Council to take ahead the process of providing the community reservation in jobs and educational institutes.

Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis after meeting opposition leader on outside Vidhan Bhavan on Saturday.
Express photo by Ganesh Shirsekar, 28th July 2018, Mumbai.

As political parties pledged support for a quota for the Marathas, the Maharashtra government on Saturday said it will convene a special session of the state Legislative Assembly and the Council to take ahead the process of providing the community reservation in jobs and educational institutes. The decision was taken at an all-party meeting held at the Vidhan Bhavan. At the end of the three-hour meeting, leaders across party lines unanimously gave their consent to a resolution to defuse the unrest in the state, which was rocked by violent protests over the quota issue this week.

While appealing to the Maratha organisations to maintain peace and harmony, the resolution also conveyed to them that all parties support their demand for reservation and that the Maharashtra State Backward Class Commission (MSBCC) would be urged to expedite the process of submitting its report to the court on the socio-economic status of the community.

The resolution, signed by Assembly Speaker Haribhau Bagde and Council Chairman Ramraje Naik Nimbalkar, stated: “There is a consensus among the political class regarding reservation to the Marathas. The government will take the necessary steps and the opposition parties will fully cooperate in all endeavours… It was decided to appeal to the State Backward Class Commission to submit its report at the earliest. And to fulfil the Constitutional requirement, a special session (of the legislature) would be convened.”

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Speaking to mediapersons, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said: “We will pass a law or a resolution in the legislature based on the recommendation of the commission, to fulfil a constitutional requirement… The session can be called once we receive the commission’s report.”

“Some Maratha organisations have apprehensions related to the ongoing recruitment drive for government departments. The government will reserve 16 per cent jobs among the 72,000 posts for which recruitment is underway,” he added. Further, the CM said that police cases registered against the agitators, except those related to serious offences would be withdrawn.

MKM rejects talks offer

The Maratha Kranti Morcha, which is spearheading the agitation for reservations in jobs and education for the Maratha community in Maharashtra, has snubbed Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ offer for talks. “All our demands are well-known to the government…We feel there is no need for any further dialogue,” said MKM state coordinator Nanasaheb Kute Patil.

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