Mumbai: A day after a State Cabinet sub-committee on implementing decisions announced in the Assembly’s monsoon session sought to expedite all such projects, the State government has shifted its focus to issues raised by the Maratha community. Sources said the government wants tangible development on ground, and has instructed its ministers to ensure this. State Revenue Minister Chandrakant Patil.
Full focus
The six ministers on the sub-committee will focus on resolving Maratha issues, and will also follow up every week on the pace of implementation. State Revenue Minister Chandrakant Patil, who heads the sub-committee, will be in charge of issues pertaining to reservation for the Marathas, the proposed statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji in the Arabian Sea and caste certificates to Kunbis and Marathas. Education Minister Vinod Tawde will help him with the reservation quota and to include 605 courses in the Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj scholarship scheme. Mr. Patil said, “The issues have been distributed among the ministers to ensure undivided attention.”
Medical Education Minister Girish Mahajan will monitor Saarthi, an institute for the welfare of the Marathas and to study the atrocities Act. Co-operation Minister Subhash Deshmukh will look into the functioning of the Annasaheb Patil Economical Development Corporation and ensure loans to Maratha youth, while Skill Development Minister Sambhaji Nilangekar-Patil will monitor programmes under his ministry for Maratha youngsters. Eknath Shinde, the only Shiv Sena minister on the committee, will follow up on hostels for Maratha youth in all districts.
The first meeting of the sub-committee was held on Thursday, two months after silent Maratha rally in the city. The sub-committee will meet every week after the cabinet meeting to review progress, a committee member said. “This is an important time for us. If people don’t see anything on ground, they will lose faith. It’s important that decisions taken in Mantralaya be visible,” a senior leader said.
