Nagpur: The state government will hold an all-party meeting of MLCs next week on the
Maratha reservation issue. The issue had come up for discussion during question hour in the legislative council. Chairman Ramraje Nimbalkar issued the directive to the government.
Revenue minister Chandrakant Patil thwarted a determined attempted by Congress and MLC to blame the government for failure to provide Maratha reservation. He pointed out that the issue was stuck up at Bombay high court and the government could not be blamed for it.
Ashok Jagtap of Congress and Pravin Darekar of Shiv Sena had a verbal duel over the issue. Both were joined by opposition and treasury benches respectively. This led to adjournment of the council for ten minutes.
Leader of opposition Dhananjay Munde, Congress MLCs Jagtap, Sanjay Datt and Sharad Ranpise demanded that the government specify a timeline for providing reservation to Marathas. Patil, who is the leader of the house in the legislative council, pointed out that currently the issue was being dealt by Maharashtra State Backward Classes Commission headed by a retired HC judge.
"We can neither ask the commission nor the HC to expedite the matter. You all are aware of this, so don't try to create social discord," he said.
Patil further said the government had issued a GR to provide hostel facilities to Maratha students. "A Maratha organization should come forward and identify the land where hostel is to be built. If land is not available, then we are ready to rent a building and convert it into a hostel. Even if this is not possible, then we will give allowance of Rs10,000 per year to Maratha students," he said.
"Each of the six demands raised by the Maratha community after the rally in Mumbai has been fulfilled. We are ready to remove impractical conditions in GRs for the benefit of Maratha students," he added.
