Marathas dominant community, don'tneed reservation, say petitioners in HC

Marathas dominant community, don'tneed reservation, say petitioners in HC

THE petitioners who have opposed reservations for the Marathas and the Muslims in Maharashtra, on Thursday argued before die Bombay High Court that these communities were not hack-ward, and Marathas were in fact dominant in many sectors.

Former journalist Ketan Tirodkar who has filed one of the public interest litigations against State Government's election-year decision to provide reservations on Thursday stated that 75 per cent of cooperative sugar factories in Maharashtra were controlled by Marathas.

Further. 75 per cent of the educational institutions too were controlled by the same community, he said. Also, 75 per cent of the land in the State was owned by the Maratha community, lie added. The people from the community form majority of the borrowers of Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank, and many loans of bank had aimed bad. leading to appointment of administrator, he said.

The division bench headed by Chief Justice Mobil Shall asked Tirodkar to provide data regarding the purported dominance of Maralhas in economically strong regions of Satara. Sangli. Parbhani. Baramati. Puneand Karad, vis-a-vis other districts.

The Congress-NCP Government, which is facing Assembly elections next month, earlier this year took the decision to provide 16 per cent reservations for Maralhas and five percent for the Muslims.

Senior advocate Pradeep Sancheti. appearing for the NGO Youth For Equality, another petitioner, argued that as per die Supreme Court's guide-lines aggregate reservations cannot exceed 50 per cent, and a religion can not be a basis for providing reservations. The Government's argument is that these two communities were 'socially and economically backward'. Advocate General Darius Khambata said that as to the Marathas. the decision was based on the recommendations of a committee headed by Minister Narayan Rane. while as to the Muslims, it was based on recommendalions of Rajinder Sachhar committee and Mahmoodur Rahman committee.

Posted in: News 2014