India News | Maha CM to Meet PM on Tuesday over Maratha Quota, Cyclone Aid

Mumbai, Jun 7 (PTI) Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Tuesday and discuss issues like the Maratha quota and financial aid for cyclone relief measures, state Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil said on Monday.

The meeting is taking place over a month after the Supreme Court squashed a 2018 law providing reservation to the Maratha community in jobs and education in the state.

Walse Patil told reporters that during the meeting with PM, Thackeray will discuss issues like the Maratha quota, OBC reservation, financial aid for cyclone Tauktae relief measures and GST refund, among others.

According to sources, deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar and PWD minister Ashok Chavan are prominent among those who will accompany Thackeray during the day-long Delhi trip.

Chavan, a Congress leader, heads the cabinet sub- committee on the Maratha quota.

The Supreme Court on May 5 quashed the Maratha quota law passed by the state legislature in November 2018.

A state government constituted committee, headed by Justice (retd) Dilip Bhosale, studied the SC judgement and recommended filing a review petition.

The apex court had termed the state quota law as unconstitutional and held that the Maratha community is not socially and educationallybackward.

The SC order also said the Maratha quota breachedthe 50 per centreservation rule.

The SC maintained that as per 102nd constitutional amendment,states have no right to enact reservation law.

The law passed by the state legislature on November 30, 2018, gave 16 per cent quota in jobs and education to the community.

The Bombay High Court, while upholding the law, reduced the quantum of the quota to 12 per cent in education and 13 per cent in government jobs.

The state government is of the opinion that the 10 per cent EWSquota law, enacted by the Centre, also breaches the 50 per cent ceiling set by the Supreme Court.

Meanwhile, NCP president Sharad Pawar called on Thackeray in the evening.

This was Pawar's second meeting with the chief minister in a fortnight.

The NCP is a key constituent of the Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in the state.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)