Maratha community leaders have welcomed the State government’s decision to release the first list of candidates who have secured jobs, hours after the Supreme Court verdict restricting the retrospective implementation of Maratha quota.
The government has released a list of 38 candidates who are the first to secure a job with the State departments. Community leaders have said this measure will help bridge the gap between the government and youth from the community, who were disillusioned following the verdict and the spread of misinformation about it.
“There was suddenly a good feeling among the community youth after the State released the first list even as the court judgement did not allow retrospective application of the reservation, leaving several people in a lurch,” said Virendra Pawar, the coordinator for the Maratha Kranti Morcha.
Cases rolled back
Meanwhile, senior officials said the State government, since Friday, has started taking back cases registered against the community youth during last year’s agitation demanding the quota in jobs and eduction. “We have also heard the government has started rolling back the cases soon after the court order. This is also a positive sign,” Mr. Pawar said.
Earlier, the State government had clarified it was not looking to implement the reservation for the Maratha community with retrospective effect starting 2014. It will continue to recruit and allow admissions in educational institutions for the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) candidates of the community until courts grant a stay.
Community leader Vinayak Mete said the Marathas were confident that the courts will not give a stay to the reservation. “The road to reservation we have been seeking for many years has been cleared. That the courts have not stayed the State decision shows the community’s plea would eventually go through. The government and the State Backward Commission have given a well studied report on the reservation, which is the reason it has stood the judicial scrutiny,” he said.
