Maharashtra to asses 'backwardness' of state's Maratha community

Mumbai: The Maharashtra Government has announced a survey to assess the social, economic and educational backwardness of the Maratha community. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said that the state Commission for Backward Classes will conduct the survey starting January 23, PTI reported.

The Maratha community has been demanding reservation in government jobs and education under the Other Backward Class (OBC) category.

The chief minister on Saturday directed the administration to carry out the survey in three different shifts on a war footing.

Shinde chaired a meeting on the Maratha reservation issue at his official residence here and gave instructions to divisional commissioners, collectors, commissioners of municipal corporations and other senior officials via a video link.

The survey announcement came on the day when Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange embarked on a protest march from Jalna to the state capital, Mumbai, with thousands of supporters. Jarange has announced the launch of an indefinite fast for the Maratha quota in Mumbai starting January 26.

He has demanded the issuance of blanket Kunbi (OBC) caste certificates to all Marathas.

At the meeting, Shinde directed officials to inform villagers about the survey exercise and share details with Gram Panchayat's offices.

"In order to check the social, economic and educational backwardness of the Maratha community, the state Commission for Backward Classes is going to start a survey on a war footing from January 23. This work should be given the top priority and the survey should be carried out accurately with punctuality," the chief minister said.

The survey will be conducted from January 23 to January 31 and will cover Maratha and non-Maratha open categories.

An estimated 2.50 crore families will be surveyed. Renowned institutions like the Gokhale Institute in Pune and IIPS will assist in carrying out this exercise, the chief minister said.

Ajit Ranade of the Pune-based Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics said more than 1.25 lakh enumerators, including teachers, gram sevaks, anganwadi workers and talathis, will be engaged for the survey, which will be completed in about eight days.

He also said that the training for enumerators started on Saturday in 36 districts, 27 municipalities and seven cantonment areas.

Shinde also asked the administration to train enumerators and officers properly and maintain a daily record.