State BJP President Chandrakant Patil said: “At a time when the Maratha reservation is before the Supreme Court, the absence of MSCBC is regrettable.” (Proceedings)
The BJP demanded Sunday that the Maharashtra State Commission for the Backward Class (MSCBC) be reconstituted as the Supreme Court begins the July 27 hearing on lawsuits challenging the reservation law. to Marathas in education and jobs in Maharashtra.
The law had granted a 12% reserve for the Maratha community on admissions to educational institutions and a 13% quota on government jobs. It was on the basis of an MSCBC report that the community received the reservation. However, the petitions have challenged the law because it violates the 50 percent reserve threshold prescribed in the 1992 Indra Sawhney judgment.
Although the MSCBC mandate had ended in January, the government of Maha Vikas Aghadi has not yet decided whether to reconstitute the state-established commission to study the social and economic conditions of the community.
State BJP President Chandrakant Patil said: “At a time when the Maratha reservation is before the Supreme Court, the absence of MSCBC is regrettable.”
“Smaller communities seeking reserves should also be occupied by the commission. The government’s indifference towards the backward class is evident. The Allied Congress, the PCN and Shiv Sena have not held a single meeting nor have they taken any steps towards the reconstitution of the commission, which is constitutionally mandatory, “he added.
Then-Prime Minister Devendra Fadnavis created the MSCBC in January 2015. The commission released a 1,035-page report in 2018 indicating that the Marathas were socially and economically backward, based on 25 key parameters drafted to determine their status.
PWD Minister and Chairman of the Cabinet Subcommittee on Marathas, Ashok Chavan, said: “We are committed to the Maratha reserve. The matter is before the Supreme Court. Until a verdict is passed, it is not about interfering in the legal matter. We are doing everything we can to ensure that the best attorneys are appointed to represent our case before the SC. ”
The Backward Education and Social Class Act (ESCB) of 2018 were enacted to grant reservations to the Marathas in jobs and admissions. The state legislature had unanimously approved a bill that gave the Marathas a 16% reserve.
However, the Bombay High Court, while upholding the law last June, held that the 16 percent reserve was not justifiable and said the quota should not exceed 12 percent on employment and 13 percent on jobs. admissions. After this, the quota was reduced to 12 and 13 percent for jobs and education, respectively.
An NCP cabinet minister said: “The MSBCB report is in the public domain. Regular hearings will begin in SC from July 27. If the situation arises, the government can take quick steps to establish the commission. We don’t rule it out. ”
Furthermore, all matters related to the admission of Marathas to educational institutions or government jobs depend on the court’s verdict. Since the provisional order has not suspended HC’s decision to maintain the Maratha quota, it is a relief. However, we are closely monitoring developments. ”
After the quota was granted, it was announced in December 2018 that community members would fill 11,520 of the 72,000 vacant positions in the state government. However, not much has moved since then.
The ministers argued that the recruitment process has been a long process. “It is impractical to expect the government to nominate 72,000 candidates at once. In addition, the Covid-19 pandemic, along with financial constraints, has affected the recruitment process, “said a minister.
Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi President Prakash Ambedkar argued: “The government is using one pretext or another to cover up its failure. Now his excuse is that the case predates SC. The question is where are the funds? How are you going to give work?
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