On Tuesday, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde directed the state administration to prioritize and expedite the Maratha community survey conducted by the State Backward Class Commission. Speaking at the cabinet sub-committee meeting on Maratha reservation, Shinde emphasized the survey’s significance in proving the community’s backwardness.
“The survey undertaken by the State Backward Class Commission is of utmost importance to establish the backwardness of the Maratha community. All district collectors and divisional commissioners should give priority to this work. This must be completed through a special cell within a time-bound manner,” stated Shinde.
During a session at the state legislative assembly, Shinde disclosed that the commission was tasked with preparing a report demonstrating the social and educational backwardness of the Maratha community. He indicated that based on this report, a special session of the state legislature would be convened in February 2024 to discuss reservations for the Maratha community.
While a curative petition on the matter is pending in the Supreme Court, Shinde stressed that the survey data could be utilized for the same purpose. He urged district collectors and divisional commissioners to ensure accurate completion of the questionnaire, emphasizing the need for precision due to objections raised by the Supreme Court in response to the previous report.
Adv (retired) Sunil Shukre, the chairperson of the State Backward Class Commission, conducted a meeting with all district collectors, where a questionnaire prepared by Pune’s Gokhale Institute was submitted. The state government has allocated Rs 367 crore to facilitate the commission’s work.
The cabinet sub-committee also instructed the administration to promptly access data regarding Hyderabad (given Marathwada’s historical connection to the Hyderabad Nizam rule) to ensure inclusion of old Kunbi (OBC) details.
