MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court will hear a bunch of petitions on Maharashtra government's decision to provide reservations to the Maratha community in government jobs and educational institutions on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, another Pune-based activist, Hemant Patil, filed a petition against reservations to the Maratha community. A bench, led by Justice B P Dharmadhikari, will listen to it along with other petitions.
Last week, Devendra Fadnanvis-led Maharashtra government confirmed the reservation for Maratha community in government jobs and in admissions in academic institutions from December 1, based on a report by Maharashtra State Backward Classes Commission.
The report made favourable recommendations on the demands of the Maratha community for reservation in government jobs and educational institutions, without disturbing the quota granted to Other Backward Classes (OBC), said news agency PTI. The reservation will be granted to the community under a new category called 'Socially and Educationally Backward Class' (SEBC) as per the recommendation of the commission, he said.
The HC has asked the state to file a response with the state backward commission report.
Several petitions were filed in the Bombay High Court between 2014 and 2015 after the previous Congress-NCP government granted 16 per cent quota in government jobs and educational institutions to the Maratha community.
While some of these petitions opposed the government's decision, two pleas had sought immediate implementation of the quota.
In November 2014, in an interim order, a division bench of the Bombay High Court had stayed the then government's decision to provide 16 per cent quota on the ground that it was in breach of the Supreme Court's 50 per cent upper limit order.
The Maratha community had held protests across the state earlier this year demanding quota in jobs and educational institutions.
Last week, the Maharashtra government approved reservation in government jobs and educational institutes for the community following recommendations of the State Backward Class Commission.
The politically dominant Maratha community constitutes over 30 per cent of the state's population.
With agency inputs
