CM says inclusion of Gomantak Maratha Samaj in OBC list depends on NCBC’s approval

NT NETWORK

PANAJI

The Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, on Friday, said that the inclusion of Gomantak Maratha Samaj community from Goa in Other Backward Classes (OBC) list depends on the approval from the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC).

“The state government will send such a recommendation to the Commission,” the Chief Minister added.

Parrikar was responding to a related Private Members’ Resolution tabled by the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party MLA, Deepak Pauskar that demanded to include sub-communities coming under Gomantak Maratha Samaj in the state in the OBC list so that the community is not deprived of the government benefits and does not have to face social stigma.

The Leader of the Opposition Chandrakant ‘Babu’ Kavlekar, Mandrem MLA Dayanand Sopte and MLAs Ravi Naik as well as Nilesh Cabral supported the resolution.

Kavlekar said that although members of this community like Lata Mangueshkar and Asha Bhonsle are financially and socially well off, there are a number of members belonging to the Gomantak Maratha Samaj who are in a bad state, financially and otherwise.

Naik said that the members of this community, who have served the temples in Goa over the years, have always faced injustice in their life, and hence now need to be compensated.

Speaking further, the Chief Minister said that the issue is pending before the Goa State Commission for Other Backward Classes (GSCOBC) as some sections of the society including Goa Bhandari Samaj has objected to the inclusion of Gomantak Maratha Samaj in the OBC list, and added that the state government can only recommend to the National Commission for Backward Classes about the inclusion of the Gomantak Maratha Samaj in the OBC list.

He said that state government is awaiting recommendation from the GSCOBC for the inclusion of the Gomantak Maratha Samaj community in the OBC list.

“The Commission has informed the government that it desires to conduct awareness on the issue at taluka level and later it will recommend the government to consider the demand of Gomantak Marath Samaj. And, even I think it needs more study,” he added.

The resolution was subsequently withdrawn by  Pauskar on assurance by the Chief Minister.