Maratha reservation: panel to submit report today

In what would dominate the political scenario of Maharashtra ahead of 2019 polls, a panel that was entrusted to examine whether the Maratha community is eligible for reservation or not, would submit its report on Thursday.

Justice (Retd) MG Gaikwad, who is the Chairman of Maharashtra State Backward Class Commission, is expected to submit the report to the Devendra Fadnavis government.

The report will be then be submitted to the Bombay High Court on Thursday, that has set 15 November as deadline for it.

Fadnavis, who was in Akola said that once the government receives a report, it will do the needful. "We would complete necessary Constitutional formalities in 15 days," he said.

The Marathas, a politically-dominant caste, that constitutes nearly 33% of the total 11.25 crore population, had been demanding reservation. Over the last two years there has been peaceful agitation, however, in July-August this year, the protests turned violent.

In the last few months, the commission had studied more than two lakh statements and letters.

Five institutes too were asked by the state to study the education and economic status- Gokhale Institute, Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini, Shivaji Academy, Sharda Academy and Gurukripa Sanstha for Western Maharashtra, Konkan, Marathwada, Vidarbha and North Maharashtra, respectively.

It is noteworthy to mention here that on Monday, the winter session of Maharashtra legislature commences in Mumbai, and the events of the next few days would have a bearing on the state politics.