Maharashtra CM announces survey by state commission to assess backwardness of Marathas

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has said that the State Backward Classes Commission will conduct a survey from January 23 to assess the social, economic and educational backwardness of the Maratha community.

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

The Chief Minister on Saturday directed the administration to conduct 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 through a video link.

The survey was announced on a day when Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange along with thousands of supporters launched a protest march from Jalna to state capital Mumbai.

Jarange has announced to start an indefinite fast for Maratha reservation in Mumbai from January 26.

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

At the meeting, Shinde directed officials to inform villagers about the survey exercise and share the details with gram panchayat offices.

“To examine the social, economic and educational backwardness of the Maratha community, the State Backward Classes Commission is going to launch a survey on war footing from January 23. This work should be given top priority and survey should be conducted.” Done with precision and punctuality,” the Chief Minister said.

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

An estimated 2.50 crore families will be surveyed. The Chief Minister said that renowned institutes like Gokhale Institute and IIPS in Pune will assist in carrying out this exercise.

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 deployed in the survey, which will be completed in about eight days.

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

Shinde also asked the administration to properly train enumerators and officials and maintain daily records.

(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – PTI)