Assembly poll 2014: Maharashtra Govt announced 16% quota for Marathas, 5% for Muslims

Assembly poll 2014:  Maharashtra Govt announced 16% quota for Marathas, 5% for Muslims

With an eye on assembly elections after severe drubbing in Lok Sabha polls, the Congress-NCP government on Wednesday approved 16% reservation for Marathas and five per cent for Muslims in government jobs and education institutions. With the additional 21% quotas for the politically influential Maratha community and Muslims cleared by the Cabinet today, reservation in jobs and educational institutions in Maharashtra will go up to 73%.

 “The state cabinet today has approved a proposal to give 16 percent reservation for the Maratha community and 5 percent for Muslim community in jobs and education. The reservation for Maratha and Muslim community is over and above of the existing 52% reservation quota for various communities in the state and this is without touching the OBC quota. This reservation will come into effect immediately,” chief minister Prithviraj Chavan told the media after the cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

He added that the quota for Marathas and Muslims is as per the Rule 16 (4) and 15 (4) of the Constitution of India. “The Rane committee has studied the legal aspects of the reservation to ensure that it stands in a court of law,” Chavan said, claiming that this was not a political decision. “Since 2004, the issue was under consideration of the state government and the committees were also formed to look into it. After studying the committee report and the legal aspects, the state cabinet has taken the decision.”

While the Rane committee had proposed a 20% quota for Marathas, the Mahmood ur-Rehman committee proposed 8 percent reservation for Muslims. Last week, Congress Rajya Sabha MP from Maharashtra, Hussain Dalwai had made a pitch for reservation for Muslims in Maharashtra.

The Mehmood-ur-Rehman Committee has recommended an 8 percent to 10 percent reservation in education and jobs, plus a separate 10 percent reservation for Muslim women. The committee was set up in 2008 to study economic and social backwardness among Muslims in Maharashtra.

However, the opposition parties called the state government’s decision a gimmick. “The Congress and NCP have taken this decision for the Assembly elections. The government has done an injustice to the Maratha community by giving 16 percent reservation even after the Rane committee proposed 20 percent. The government has given the Maratha community’s reservation to Muslims, which is unfair,” said Vinod Tawde, opposition leader in the legislative council.The existing reservations for various communities in Maharashtra are as follows:

1. Scheduled Caste: 13%
2. Scheduled Tribe: 7%
3. Other Backward Classes: 19%
4. Special Backward Classes: 2%
5. Nomadic Tribes A: 3%
6. Nomadic Tribes B: 2.5%
7. Nomadic Tribes C Dhangar: 3.5%
   
8. Nomadic Tribes D Vanjari: 2%
9. Total 52%

source:zeenews,firstpost

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