Govt requests Jarange Patil to extend deadline for Maratha quota

Rural development minister Girish Mahajan and Employment Guarantee Scheme minister Sandeepan Bhumare met Jarange-Patil in Jalna on Saturday with the request. The government delegation apprised Jarange-Patil about the steps being taken for the restoration of the quota and to issue Kunbi certificates to the Marathas

Mumbai: As activist Manoj Jarange-Patil’s December 24 deadline for ‘blanket reservation’ for Marathas nears, the state government requested him for an extension of the deadline, for which Jarange-Patil convened a meeting on Sunday to take a decision on the government’s request.

Govt requests Jarange Patil to extend deadline for Maratha quota

Rural development minister Girish Mahajan and Employment Guarantee Scheme minister Sandeepan Bhumare met Jarange-Patil in Jalna on Saturday with the request. The government delegation apprised Jarange-Patil about the steps being taken for the restoration of the quota and to issue Kunbi certificates to the Marathas.

“State government and chief minister Eknath Shinde and both his deputies are serious about the promises made to the community. We have been discussing the Maratha reservation in the state assembly for the last three days and the CM will speak on it in detail on his Monday address. The committee appointed under retired judge Sandeep Shinde has collated sizable documents to issue Kunbi certificates to Marathas. Apart from it, we have expedited the legal battle in the Supreme Court through a curative petition to restore the quashed reservation on the ground of backwardness,” Mahajan said after meeting the activist. “In order to give the sustainable reservation that could not be challenged in the court, we will need some more time. We have handed over a note to him about the steps taken by the government. He appears to be satisfied and we are sure that he will accept our demand,” he said.

Jarange-Patil said that the decision would be taken in a meeting of the community on Sunday. “There is no doubt that the government has been making sincere efforts on issuance of Kunbi certificates. The committee appointed by it has gathered 54 lakh documents related to the Kunbi records. We have never been adamant with our deadline and even this time too, we will take an appropriate decision,” he said. Jarange Patil, however, cautioned that the government has not kept its word. “It should act upon it and withdraw the cases. It had promised us to not feel the government vacancies until the decision on the Maratha reservation was made. We hope that the government will act upon it,” he added.

Jarange-Patil also expressed his anger over the statements by the food and civil supplies minister and OBC leader Chhagan Bhujbal. Girish Mahajan said that it will be again discussed with Bhujbal and the government expects leaders from both sides to restrain from explosive statements.

Jarange-Patil withdrew his indefinite strike in the second phase on November 3 after setting the December 24 deadline for the government to take decision on Maratha reservation. He had announced to resume the protest, in a more aggressive manner, if the government failed to keep its promise by December 24.