Maharashtra deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis met the protesters at Nagpur. (PTI File)
Devendra Fadnavis said: “The government’s stand is that no injustice will be done to the OBC community. The Marathas wants to get the same sort of reservation they had when I was the CM. A curative petition has been filed…”
Amid the Maratha demand and protest for reservation, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has said that the existing composition of the Other Backward Class (OBC) reservation will not be disturbed.
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“The government’s stand is that no injustice will be done to the OBC community,” he said after visiting the protesters at the spot of the ongoing relay hunger strike by the National OBC Federation and Sarvashakiya OBC Kunbi Federation in Nagpur.
He was accompanied by Babanrao Taiwade, Sudhakar Kohre, Sameer Meghe, Parinay Fuke, Ashish Deshmukh and Pravin Datke.
Fadnavis said that he had also met those protesting for the OBC quota in Sambhajinagar.
“The Maratha community wants to get the same sort of reservation they had when I was the Chief Minister. For the same, a curative petition has been filed and work is also on to implement the suggestions by Justice Bhonsle Committee,” he said.
“Now, a Justice Shinde committee has been set up to look into the issue of Kunbi-Maratha in greater detail. The committee will submit its report in a month. The situation is not such that the two communities should be at loggerheads. Even the government doesn’t want that. The problems of each community should be addressed separately,” Fadnavis said.
Listing the work done so far, the deputy CM said, “We have issued 26 GRs for the OBC community. Quite a few of them have already been implemented and work on the remaining ones is on.”
“Recently, we held a meeting to discuss the issue of setting up hostels in each district. The issue of scholarship has been addressed. Soon, a meeting will be held with all stakeholders in Mumbai to discuss other demands as well,” he said.
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The Prime Minister is all set to launch the Vishwakarma scheme which will prove to be of great benefit to the OBCs, he added.
CONTRACTUAL APPOINTMENTS ARE TEMPORARY
Regarding the rumours of appointments on contractual basis, Fadnavis said it was a temporary move. “Permanent appointments take time and work can’t stop till then. As per the precedence, contractual appointments are done, even this is a decision by the earlier government. We have ensured that those hired get paid directly into their accounts. We have decided to fill 75,000 posts. The figure has not gone upto 1.5 lakh. All vacancies will be filled up eventually,” Fadnavis said.
