Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Friday (September 22) said that he would discuss the provision of five per cent Muslim quota in the educational institutions with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis.
In 2014, the then Congress-led government had provided a five per cent quota to the Muslims in admissions to the educational institutions when it introduced a quota in jobs and education for the Maratha community. However, the BJP-Shiv Sena government dropped the Muslim quota when it introduced a legislation to give reservation to the Marathas.
Ajit Pawar said that the provision of five per cent educational reservation for the minority community had not faced any legal issue (unlike the Maratha reservation).
"I will discuss the issue with Shinde and Fadnavis before taking a decision," Pawar said while speaking at a meeting of the Minority Welfare Department at the state headquarters Mantralaya.
Pawar, who also holds the finance portfolio, assured that recommendations of a committee headed by the chief secretary to bring uniformity in the schemes implemented through institutions like Babasaheb Ambedkar Research and Training Institute (BARTI), Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Research and Training Institute (SARTHI) and Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Research and Training Institute (MAHAJYOTI) will be applicable to the Maulana Azad Economic Development Corporation too.
The Deputy CM said that the Azad corporation which was set up for the welfare of the Muslim community will also be given more funds and it should check if its loan schemes can be linked to the PM Vishwakarma scheme recently announced by the Centre.
(With PTI inputs)
