Plan panel, not a plea: prime officers advise CM Thackeray on Maratha quota

Top bureaucrats within the Maharashtra authorities have suggested the state’s political management to undertake a recent examine which reveals the Maratha group to be a socially and economically backward group. This can then be submitted to the National Commission for Backward Classes, a physique that obtained constitutional standing in August 2018.
The Maharashtra State Reservation for Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) Act, which obtained the state Governor’s assent in November 2018, granted 13 per cent reservation to the Maratha group in public schooling and authorities employment. This regulation — which took the entire reservation within the state past 50 per cent — was struck down by the Supreme Court Wednesday.
The bureaucrats have additionally suggested the federal government in opposition to initiating one other authorized battle at this level. While they’ve requested the regulation and judiciary division to discover authorized choices, an attraction in opposition to the Supreme Court judgement could not serve any function, a senior bureaucrat advised The Indian Express.
The political management, based on sources with data of the developments put up the Supreme Court judgment, has additionally been warned in opposition to together with the Maratha group throughout the Other Backward Classes (OBC) quota, as this will set off giant scale unrest throughout the state. OBC teams have already voiced their opposition to this stating any “quota within a quota” would take up an enormous share of the pie.

“There would be mayhem if they (Marathas) get included in OBC quota,” a senior official mentioned.
Top bureaucrats have suggested that essentially the most cautious subsequent step can be for the state authorities to fee one other examine on the backwardness of the Maratha group, and current it to the National Commission of Backward Classes. That would then be despatched to the Union Cabinet, which as soon as authorised, might be ratified by the President.

The state must present extraordinary circumstances to show that the group wants reservations, the senior bureaucrat mentioned.
The prime political management has additionally been briefed concerning the chance of Maratha teams staging a statewide agitation in opposition to the Supreme Court judgement quashing the quota. The Home Department has been advised to tell all Superintendents of Police (SPs) to stay vigilant to stop any untoward incident in these occasions of Covid , the official mentioned.