The Maharashtra Assembly Thursday unanimously passed a legislation granting 16 per cent reservation to the Maratha community under the socially and educationally backward category. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had tabled the Bill along with an Action Taken Report (ATR) on Maharashtra State Backward Class Commission's (MSBCC) recommendations in the Assembly. With the approval of the quota, reservations in the state have surpassed the 50 per cent ceiling set by the Supreme Court for state governments and the Centre. At present, the total reservations in the state is 52 per cent. The 16 per cent reservation approved for the Marathas will take the number to 68 per cent. The major recommendations of the MSBCC which justified the reservation to Maratha community are as follows: The Maratha Class of citizens has inadequate representation in the services under the State and having been declared socially and educationally backward class of citizens, they are entitled to reservation benefits and advantages enshrined in the Article 15 (4) (Prohibition of discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth) and 16 (4) (Equality of opportunity in matters of public employment) of the Indian Constitution. The Marathas constitute 30 per cent of the state population.
