Work on Maratha outfits’ demands on, hostels ready in 14 districts: Maharashtra government

The state said that hostels for Maratha students are ready for operations in 14 districts and 199 of the 325 cases registered against the community members during their protests in 2018-19 have been withdrawn.

Amid the warning given by Maratha outfits to take a call on resumption of the agitation for reservation, the state government said that works on most of the demands raised by the outfits are on track. It further said that hostels for Maratha students are ready for operations in 14 districts and 199 of the 325 cases registered against the community members during their protests in 2018-19 have been withdrawn.

The state government said 199 of the 325 cases registered against the community members during their protests in 2018-19 have been withdrawn. (HT FILE)

Rajya Sabha MP Sambhajiraje Chhatrapati, who has been leading the protest for Maratha reservation, has said that he would take a call on resuming the stir on August 9. Community outfits under his leadership had put their agitation on hold on June 21 by giving one month’s time to the government to fulfil their demands. Apart from filing a review petition in the Apex court for the reservation, the outfits had demanded steps to complete the recruitment process of the community candidates, make financial provisions for SARTHI (Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Research, Training and Human Development Institute) and Annasaheb Patil Aarthik Vikas Mahamandal, and withdrawal of the cases against the protesters among others.

The cabinet sub-committee on reservation, headed by public works department minister Ashok Chavan, met on Monday to take a stock of the progress on the demands. Chavan has asked the departments concerned to ensure the demands are met the earliest.

“Maratha outfits have demanded hostels for students from the community in all districts. Hostels in 14 districts are ready to go operational and will be inaugurated by the respective guardian ministers at the earliest. Provisions for hostels in other districts are being done. Similarly, 199 cases registered against the protesters during the reservation agitations have been withdrawn, while 109 cases are under consideration of withdrawal in respective courts. Sixteen cases can be withdrawn only after the losses caused due to the protest are recovered. One of the cases cannot be withdrawn as it is very serious in nature,” said an official from general administrative department.

The state has also assured jobs to legal heirs of the 43 protesters who lost their lives while agitating. Eight of them have been recruited by the State Transport Corporation while six have informed that they would join after completing their education. The process is underway for the remaining kin, Chavan said.

The minister added that financial allocation of ₹150 crore for the operational expenditure of SARTHI has been done and construction of its headquarters in Pune will begin soon.

Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has attacked the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government for the delay in filing the posts on Maharashtra Public Service Commission. Minority affairs minister Nawab Malik said the process has been completed and the file is pending with Governor BS Koshyari.