Maratha quota issue: Maharashtra Assembly adjourned twice today
(PTI desk)
The Maharashtra Assembly was adjourned twice today over the issue of tabling the State Backward Class Commission's report recommending quota for the Maratha community in the House. The Opposition Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) have been demanding since last week that the report be tabled in the Legislature. The House was first adjourned by the speaker and then the presiding officer.
Reason for adjournment: A meeting was underway in Legislature premises
As soon as Assembly Speaker Haribhau Bagde called for the Question Hour today, Congress' Deputy Leader Vijay Waddetiwar requested that the House be adjourned for 10 minutes since a meeting of group leaders of various parties was underway in the Legislature premises. Bagde then adjourned the Lower House for 10 minutes. When the House reassembled, presiding officer Subhash Sabne adjourned it till 12.15 pm.
Earlier, Opposition leaders said state government against tabling the report
Before Sabne announced the second adjournment, Waddetiwar came in and asked opposition members to come out of the House. Earlier, an opposition leader said outside the Assembly that the state government had refused to table the report in the House. "We were told that a bill would be tabled in both Houses which should be passed without discussion," he said, on condition of anonymity.
Minister said government will introduce reservation bill on Thursday
Meanwhile, Congress and NCP leaders were holding a meeting in Congress' legislature party office to decide their future course of action. Revenue Minister Chandrakant Patil, who heads the Cabinet sub-committee on the Maratha quota issue, said yesterday the government will introduce a bill on Thursday to provide reservation to Marathas under the Socially and Educationally Backward Class (SEBC) category before Legislature's winter session ends.
Reservation law should be within legal, constitutional framework: Patil
The state Legislature's winter session concludes on Friday. Patil had said the Cabinet sub-committee was holding marathon meetings to ensure that the law to provide reservation to Marathas was scientific and within the legal and constitutional framework. Even after the law is passed, the facilities provided to the Maratha community for employment and educational purpose since the last two years would stay, he said.
More or less than 16%? Cabinet sub-committee working out details
On whether the quota would be more or less than 16%, as was given by the previous government but did not stand in court, Patil had said that the percentage was being worked out. The Cabinet sub-committee was formed last week to study the State Backward Class Commission's report on reservation for Marathas and to take a decision on it.
Commission's report placed before Cabinet on November 18
The government had received the Commission's report on Marathas reservation on November 15 and it was placed before the Cabinet on November 18. The commission's recommendations were approved by the Cabinet and it was decided to form a sub-committee for further process.
