Panel discusses Maharashtra govt stand on Maratha quota in Supreme Court`
Maharashtra PWD Minister Ashok Chavan on Wednesday said the MVA government is "positive" towards implementing all pending schemes for welfare of the Maratha community announced by the previous dispensation.
Talking to reporters after a meeting of the cabinet sub-committee on Maratha quota here, Chavan said discussion revolved around the stand to be taken by the Shiv Sena-led government in the Supreme Court during a hearing on July 15 on the reservation issue.
Chavan, a Congress leader and former chief minister, heads the sub-committee on Maratha quota.
He said in the next two-three days, meetings have been convened to discuss implementation of pending schemes for welfare of the community.
Chavan said the Sena-NCP-Congress government is "positively" inclined towards implementing all pending schemes for welfare of the Maratha community announced by the previous BJP dispensation.
The government will push for in-court appearance of counsels, instead of video-conferencing, when the petition challenging the Maratha quota comes up for hearing in the SC, Chavan said.
The government will try to ensure there is no interim stay on admissions (under the Maratha quota) to post-graduate medical courses, the minister said.
A plea was filed in the SC last year challenging the Bombay High Court order which upheld the constitutional validity of the quota for the Maratha community in education (12%) and government jobs (13%) in Maharashtra.
The legislation to provide quota to the Maratha community in education and jobs was enacted when the BJP was in power in the state.
