Other Backward Classes Won't Lose Out: Chief Minister On Maratha Quota

The reservation of Other Backward Classes (OBC) will not be touched while giving quota to the Maratha community, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said on Friday.

During the day, Eknath Shinde held a meeting with representatives of the OBC and Nomadic Tribes at Sahyadri Guest House. It was attended by Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar as well as senior ministers and officials. Representatives from these segments put forth their demands in the meeting.

"The government's stand is that the quota of no community will not be diluted. While giving reservation to the Maratha community, the quota of other communities will remain unaffected," Mr Shinde said.

The government stands firmly behind the Nomadic Tribes, he said, adding that officials have been directed to start 72 hostels for OBC students.

Devendra Fadnavis said the implementation of schemes of Rs 4,000 crore is being done.

Sharad Pawar, who handles the finance department in the Shinde government, said the NT community will be allocated a huge amount of funds in the budget.

Meanwhile, Sachin Rajurkar, general secretary of the Rashtriya OBC Mahasangh, who took part in the meeting, said Mr Fadnavis will go to Chandrapur to persuade Ravindra Tonge to call off his 19-day hunger strike.

Mr Tonge, the head of the students' wing of the Rashtriya OBC Mahasangh, is on hunger strike for various demands and has opposed the inclusion of the Maratha community in the OBC segment for reservation purposes.

Mr Rajurkar claimed Ravindra Tonge will call off his hunger strike on Saturday on the back of assurances from the state government, adding that a 'bandh' call for Chandrapur has been withdrawn.

However, sources from Mr Fadnavis' office just said he is likely to go to Chandrapur on Saturday.

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