Shinde chaired a meeting on the Maratha reservation issue at his official residence here and gave instructions to divisional commissioners, collectors, municipal corporation commissioners and other senior officials through video link.
The State Backward Class Commission will conduct a survey from January 23 to assess the social, economic and educational backwardness of the Maratha community, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said on Saturday.
The Maratha community is demanding reservation in government jobs and education under the Other Backward Class (OBC) category.
The Prime Minister directed the government to conduct this investigation in three different phases 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, municipal corporation commissioners and other senior officials through video link.
The announcement of the investigation comes on a day when Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange started a protest march from Jalna to Mumbai with thousands of supporters. He has announced to launch an indefinite fast for the Maratha quota from January 26 in Mumbai.
Jarange has demanded issuance of general Kunbi caste certificates (OBC) to all Marathas.
During the meeting, Shinde directed officials to inform villagers about the survey and share details with gram panchayat offices.
“To arrest the social, economic and educational backwardness of the Maratha community, the State Commission for Backward Classes will initiate a probe into the war situation from January 23. This work must be given the highest priority and the research must be carried out. precise and punctual,” said the Prime Minister.
The survey will be conducted from January 23 to January 31 and will cover the open categories of Maratha and non-Maratha.
An estimated 2.50 crore families will be surveyed. Reputed institutions like Gokhale Institute, Pune and IIPS will help in conducting this exercise, the Chief Minister said.
Ajit Ranade of the Pune-based Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics said over 1.25 lakh enumerators, including teachers, gram sevaks, anganwadi workers and talathis, will be roped in for the survey, which will be conducted in about eight days rounded.
He also said that training for enumerators began on Saturday in 36 districts, 27 municipalities and seven cantonment areas.
Shinde also asked the administration to properly carry out training of enumerators and officers and maintain daily records.
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First print: January 20, 2024 | 11:29 PM IST